- Thousands of Sony PlayStation 2s are bound for Iraq to
be connected up to form a crude supercomputer, if recent reports are to
be believed. But computer experts say that if the plans are true, Saddam
has bought the wrong console.
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- Standard computer hardware cannot be exported to Iraq
because of UN sanctions, but games consoles are not included in the ban.
Recent reports state that a US Defense Intelligence Agency document claims
4000 of the consoles have been shipped to Iraq.
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- The PlayStation 2 is designed to process graphics at
high speed, so it could be ideal for certain tasks. "If you wanted
to do something like pattern recognition - to spot cars, say - they'd be
great," says Jon Crowcroft of the Networked Multimedia Research Group
at University College, London.
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- The consoles could have some serious computing clout
if they were linked together, but that may not be easy. Crowcroft says
Saddam may have bought the wrong games console: "The PlayStation 2s
have no high speed network, so there's no easy way to connect them up.
And the software that runs on PlayStations is not amenable to multiprocessing
either."
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- Linux link-up
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- "If I was going to do this right now, I'd buy Sega
Dreamcasts. They already have a high speed link you could use and they
run Linux which allows you to run multiple processors," says Crowcroft.
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- But cannibalising games consoles is not the ideal way
to make a supercomputer, says Andrew Downton, Head of Electronic Systems
Engineering at Essex University. "If you were Saddam Hussein and you
wanted to do this, it would be far easier just to buy computer components
through a third party," he says. Because the components are so small,
they could then be smuggled into the country with relative ease, he adds.
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- A spokeswoman for the US Defense Intelligence Agency
in Virginia admits the issue was studied, though she denies that a report
was written. "The truth is there is no report. But yes, various agencies
looked into it and there was some informal communication between departments.
However, there's no final position on the matter."
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- The spokeswoman could not confirm whether consoles were
bound for Iraq, and would not comment on whether it would be considered
a problem if they were. "If people are just using them to play games,
then that's fine, they can do that anywhere," she said.
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- Correspondence about this story should be directed to
latestnews@newscientist.com
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