[NOISE, sorta] Re: Inexpensive Crypto Boxes...

[Mike Fletcher <fletch@ain.bls.com>]

	Hi fellow PSX owner!  Tried WipEouT yet? :)

> The new Sony Play Station is operating under a stripped down Unix.
> Considering the speed that these boxes are designed to run at it seems a
> natural for somebody to come up with a crypto workbench on ROM to install in
> one of these babies. Could program one of the game controller ports as a
> serial port and hook it to a Linux box (for example).

	For those who don't know, the PSX is a CD based gaming console
released (in the US) in Sept by Sony.  It's a MIPS R3000/25MHz processor
with some SGI-designed polygon chips, 2x CD-ROM, 1M RAM, 2M video RAM.

	As for serial port, why bother with the game port when there's
a serial I/O port on the back (the link cable that lets you hook two
PSXen up to play head to head (Mmmmm, Destruction Derby)).  What would be
_really_ spiffy would be for Sony (or a 3rd party) to put out a "hack disk"
(for lack of a better name) that would have a bare bones kernel that you
could then download stuff from another platform (gcc cross-compiled from
your linux box for example).  Like that'll happen.

	The line between toy and real machine is getting more and 
more fuzzy (we use a box here at work with the same processor to compile
for an AT&T telephony switch (which tells you how sad the AT&T product
is :) :))).  How long until the NSA tries a Chinese Lottery attack hidden
inside a Nintendo cart?

	Ah well, I've rambled enough.

---
Fletch                                                     __`'/|
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