Mon, Jun 15, 2009 | 08:54 BST
UK prison bans PS3 thanks to “escape attempt” fear
A British prison has banned PS3 access to its inmates as it feared the machine could be used in an escape attempt.
Rye Hill prisoners were using the console’s wireless capabilities to chat to people on the outside, according to this Guardian report.
“PlayStation 3 consoles are barred on the grounds that they have the capability to send and receive radio signals as an integral part of the equipment,” said a prison spokesperson.
13 comments
#1
Ingenu
15/06/09, 9:00 am
Wow, they let prisoners play a PS3? How fucking stupid is the UK? lol.
#2
Blerk
15/06/09, 9:07 am
Er… they didn’t know about this stuff before they bought them a PS3?
#3
Psychotext
15/06/09, 9:37 am
Damn… for a while it seemed there was a sure fire way to get a PS3 without needing a second job.
#4
Axle
15/06/09, 10:29 am
I can understand a shared PS3 in a common room, but WHY have do they need Internet access???
#5
rainer
15/06/09, 10:51 am
So ridiculous, canadian prisons also permit inmates their own game consoles though apparently only up to PS1 or maybe PS2′s or something like that.
It is lame that they have such “comforts” but from the prisons point of view I can sorta understand as the games probably keep prisoners occupied, a PS3 seems a bit extravagant though do they have HDTV’s to with it ? LOL .
#6
deanimate
15/06/09, 11:03 am
Prison? More like a bloody holiday camp.
#7
Johnny Cullen
15/06/09, 11:15 am
Escape attempt?
What, grab the PS3 as a weapon and whack someone in the face with it? Yeah, I can actually see that as a threat
#8
Johnny Cullen
15/06/09, 11:25 am
Jonarob –
#9
DrDamn
15/06/09, 11:47 am
@Axle
I think the implication is that the controllers were used as bluetooth devices but connected to people outside rather than the console itself. Not that they had internet access.
The use of BT for comms in the PS3 isn’t exactly well known. I went into a PCWorld and asked if an Apple BT keyboard would work ok with a PS3. First sales assistant said no as PS3 doesn’t do BT – I told her the controllers were BT so it does. She said ask the tech guys down the front – they were surprised to learn this as well. Got the keyboard on the grounds I could bring it back if it didn’t work. It does very nicely. Makes a great lap keyboard for sofa surfing – though it is very expensive.
(oh yeah, I know PCWorld – what did I expect? You think someone would have a clue though).
#10
Yoshi
15/06/09, 1:09 pm
Why didnt they just not give them internet ? lol
#11
DrDamn
15/06/09, 1:16 pm
Actually I think they are setting up an adhoc network type thing, or maybe connecting to wireless network other people are bringing to them. They’d need to disable the PS3 built in wireless to stop it – which I don’t think is possible?
#12
theevilaires
15/06/09, 1:59 pm
The Warden realized the power of the Cell lol
#13
freedoms_stain
15/06/09, 10:33 pm
“They’d need to disable the PS3 built in wireless to stop it – which I don’t think is possible?”
It’s quite possible.
You open it up and remove the wireless unit.