UPDATE: PS3 Hacker GeoHot Claims He's on Vacation

[thedeathscythe]

Hahaha, told you he would just flame the HD and run. Yes you can recover data from an HD, but if you no how, you can completely destroy any data on one, beyond recovery. Just that the average computer user doesn't know.

Anyway, dumb move. Ah well.

My mac has a built in program when I erase a harddrive, where it can erase it, fill it with 0's, then erase it again, fill it with 0's, then erase again, and I can make it do this to the entire drive like over a hundred times, ultimately making it impossible to find out what was once on it (this process can take forever for a large drive and for multiple wipes and writes). I'm sure there's programs for each OS that can do this same thing, after doing that, I would take an earth magnet to it, then I would destroy it and throw the pieces off a boat. Now if we don't want me to completely destroy it physically and just the memory on it, the part before destroying it should suffice...I'm guessing that would work?

OT: This is the worst possible thing he can do for himself, I'm not even sure what he plans to do in South America...just....whyyyyy Geo?

 

[superbatranger]

"Screw you guys...I'm going hoome. *finger point*"

But, he doesn't look South American. Better yet, why South America?

 

[thePyro_13]

My mac has a built in program when I erase a harddrive, where it can erase it, fill it with 0's, then erase it again, fill it with 0's, then erase again, and I can make it do this to the entire drive like over a hundred times, ultimately making it impossible to find out what was once on it (this process can take forever for a large drive and for multiple wipes and writes). I'm sure there's programs for each OS that can do this same thing, after doing that, I would take an earth magnet to it, then I would destroy it and throw the pieces off a boat. Now if we don't want me to completely destroy it physically and just the memory on it, the part before destroying it should suffice...I'm guessing that would work?

OT: This is the worst possible thing he can do for himself, I'm not even sure what he plans to do in South America...just....whyyyyy Geo?

Would you really need to fill the drive with zeros more than once?

 

[m3kw]

I thought this was an Aprils fools joke but it's only Mar 23. Didn't think he would flee like that, he seem smart, maybe he has a few tricks up his sleeve? Or ass (once he goes to jail?)

 

[Lokithrsourcerer]

Not to worry. Sony's hitmen are going to follow.

Dom and Ed (Sony black ops division) all ready closing in

megatokyo.com read it, its goooood

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I'm not going to prejudge Hotz before I can get an explanation. If he actually comes out and says "Yeah, I'm pussying out" or isn't seen for a while, I declare him a cowardly martyr.

If he comes back with, say, more evidence on the case or just needed to relax, then that's fine with me.

 

[SnakeCL]

I think it's retarded that a person can't do whatever the hell he wants with a piece of equipment he has payed for! Let him hack that shit! If it poses a security risk, that's Sony's problem and their own god damn fault, as long as he doesn't actually hack someone else or otherwise hurt them. It's a dick move to go after the little guy, even if he is a douchebag.

He was posting security information online, which is the crime. Not the fact he hacked his system. Sony didn't give a shit about him till he started posting security information.

Someone else already made a fine example. What if i started posting your security information online? Would you be pissed? What if i got away with it by saying "Well i had no idea what people would use it for?"

Sony doesn't give a shit what you do to your system unless you either a) log on to the PSN or b) distribute security information. Until then...

Edit: what you basically said is "If someone breaks into your house it's your own god damn fault you didn't put iron bars on all your windows and wire your door handles to explode"

However, if this is "sony's god damn fault" well then this is Sony's response.

So a victim is at fault for not having enough security... Yet adding more security makes you an asshole... Wait...

Those EULA's are a bunch of bullshit too, not much similar to what the mob might do to you, just more "legal". So big woop, the law gives them the right to legally fuck someone's life up, that doesn't make it right and anyone to disagree is gullible. Saying you don't have to agree to them is like saying that you don't have to pay taxes. You're not left with a choice, you're left with an ULTIMATUM, which is very different.

No agreeing to the eula meant two things.

1. No PSN

2. No Sony updates.

That is all you lost. If you disagreed to the eula your PS3 wouldn't brick. You just couldn't get sony updates or use sony's servers. Your hardware, which is yours, is still free for you to dick with.

I didn't have to agree to anything until i tried to go online. If you stay offline, what you do is your business. A fact everyone keeps conveniently missing.

Sony shouldn't have to support or allow access to their servers to people screwing with there systems that can end maliciously.

Thank you, for being a sane poster. So many people seem to gloss over the particulars of the case, instead proclaiming Sony THE MAN and how he has to be brought down in the name for consumer rights, when in-fact, no such rights were violated for the very reason you stipulated.

 

[MGlBlaze]

Bad move, GeoHot. Not only have you just helped Sony's case, but you have abused the trust and money people placed in your hands.

I hope you get crushed by Sony now.

It was a mistake for me to ever feel sympathy for this douche.

 

[Kagim]

Again, you're equating apples to oranges. Not even apples to oranges really, more like apples to chicken sandwiches.

He paid for his PS3, he has every right to do what ever he wanted with it, regardless of what the EULA or the PSN UA says. It's HIS property.

A good example would be [INSERT CAR MAKER OF YOUR CHOICE HERE] suing you into oblivion because you put a new stereo in your car. You paid for that car, you have every right to do whatever you want to it.

Do I even need to mention that the same act, jailbreaking, is legal on a mobile phone. Where's the difference?

"Oh, but he made it possible to use pirated software on the PS3. That's why he's in the wrong."
WHAT ARBITRARY SILLINESS!
The wireless adapter in my laptop allows me to download torrents of movies, guess hollywood should sue Dell.

His property, his choice.

He is in trouble for posting a security root key online for software he didn't own. Distributing information that was not his right to distribute.

Sony didn't give a shit about him for modding/hacking/whatever one wishes to call it his PS3.

If you stay off there servers, and don;t take there updates, you are free to do what you want with your PS3.

Once again, this whole thing was about releasing security information. Not for modding, not for making his own software or mod, but releasing crucial security information.

If he had released a way to put third party software onto the system that would override or otherwise ignore the current OS we wouldn't be talking, because Sony would actually not have a case. That would involve not releasing security info to anyone with eyeballs.

However he didn't do that, he posted security information that can obviously be used maliciously and with full knowledge it would be used maliciously.

A good example would be [INSERT CAR MAKER OF YOUR CHOICE HERE] suing you into oblivion because you put a new stereo in your car. You paid for that car, you have every right to do whatever you want to it.

No, a good example would be releasing information on how to fuck with a cars onboard computer in a way that can be used maliciously then hide behind the idea that "hey, there are legitimate purposes to! I'm not responsible for how people use it!" after someone uses it to destroy someones car.

Changing your car stereo isn't illegal. Releasing information on how to remotely shut off someones brakes is.

The wireless adapter in my laptop allows me to download torrents of movies, guess hollywood should sue Dell.

Once again, a better example is if Dell released a laptop that aggressively cracked wep keys to gain access then used a built in P2P program to grab information. Then saying "Well they should only use the aggressive wep key breaker if they forget there own password! and P2P can be used for legal purposes!"

Your missing the point. Really really hard.

This has nothing to do with people modding there systems. It has everything to do with releasing security information that wasn't his to crack software that wasn't his.

 

[JWAN]

And guess whose money he used to flee?

Thats why you dont give out money on the internet children.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Not enough people in this thread against hacking stuff like this in general. Piracy is pretty bad people. Personally I like to support game companies that make stuff I like.

Hacking =! Piracy

I like that I can use my DS as a portable video/music player and comic reader. I don't have the means to rip my DS collection to an SD Card, but I like that I have that option. I haven't hacked my PSP because there's nothing I would want to do with it that I'm not already doing with my DS, but I like that I have that option available should I choose to make use of it. There are plenty of legitimate uses for hacking, and demonizing the practice because of that one bad thing is wrong.

Geohot is an idiot, but that doesn't make Sony right.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

SONY is wrong, him being a dick or fleeing the country doesn't change that... just adds it to SONY being wrong.

A very old Cliched saying applys, Two wrongs don't make a right. I agree that the case was unfair and most gamers still will. But running when you are right means your convictions mean nothing to you and now a lot of people who were rooting for this guy were left in the cold. It's just a shame EVERYONE is a dick in this situation not just Sony

 

[dante brevity]

If after all this you're still sticking up to the guy, let me know how the weather's like in your planet.

Cold, rainy, but overall fairly pleasant.

So we're supposed to trust Sony - that is, the company who are attacking him in court - in regards to his whereabouts and actions?

So basically, any accusations you can throw at someone else are suddenly evidence?

Excellent point. I reread the article above and came up with a lot of "according to Sony" and references to PSN records. So far, we're only hearing from a company that has every motive to smear the other side.

If some of these allegations are true, the GeoHot is truly a dick, but let's wait a day or two for the other shoe to drop before we call for this guy's blood.

 

[144_v1legacy]

I know nothing of this case. But just from that picture, that guy looks like a douche.

 

[Iwata]

If after all this you're still sticking up to the guy, let me know how the weather's like in your planet.

Cold, rainy, but overall fairly pleasant.

So we're supposed to trust Sony - that is, the company who are attacking him in court - in regards to his whereabouts and actions?

So basically, any accusations you can throw at someone else are suddenly evidence?

Oh no. See, the problem is that so many people are so eager to jump in and support the Lone Rogue when he faces off against The Evil Corporation, that they never actually bother to stop and ask if they should be doing it in the first place. Because sometimes The Evil Corporation is actually trying to protect its property, and the Lone Rogue is just some douche who'll cry for help because, dood! He's fighting evil SONY here!

And then of course, do the logical thing, flip off all his supporters, tamper with evidence and split.

But hey, at least you feel better when you wear that anti-capitalism shirt, amirite?! I mean, you must HATE money, if you gave it to him!

On a side note, his douchiness pours out of every photo I've ever seen him in.

 

[BRex21]

and so he ran...

and the motto of the story is, if the police arrest you for knowingly breaking the law, flee the country.

This is whats wrong with these forums. The police didnt arrest him, its a civil matter and he is free to leave the country. He didnt flee, sony KNEW he was on vacation and the only word we have that he even did anything wrong in regards to the "evidence tampering" is sonys word. Which from the sounds of things wasnt tampering so much as not including peices of hardware that werent actually on the warrant.

 

[alinos]

Do I even need to mention that the same act, jailbreaking, is legal on a mobile phone. Where's the difference?

JailBreaking is legal because it allows you to change service providers and that is the only reason. Most likely if it hadn't been restricted to AT&T he woulda had his arse sued then. Because one can certainly not claim homebrew on the iphone.

It's Much the Same as R4 carts being legal in australia because they remove any Regional Restriction's placed on games.

Unfortunatly due to the stupid FTA that australia signed with the US before the US economy turned to shit, you now can only remove the Regional Restrictions without removing piracy and since the company's decide to entangle them to the point where it's nigh on unachievable. They have essentially closed that loophole

His property, his choice.

Sure it's his choice to crack his property, it is not his choice to give the 11 secret herbs and spices out so you can do the same, because that is what we are talking about here, its the magic code that protects sony. and when you make the only console that hasn't been cracked for years your understandably irked when someone goes and does it in a way that basically screws over every game since you can have hackers and whatnot

 

[Nurb]

Fuck Sony.

If they weren't dicks to begin with and telling a customer what they can and can't do with their own damn property, he wouldn't be in this mess.

Corporate greed and control of customer actions is the crime here, so yea, fuck Sony. They deserve to be pirated.

 

[Vanbael]

The plot thickens.
More popcorn?

 

[Solid Reece]

Not to worry. Sony's hitmen are going to follow.

47?