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Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today announced a Folding@home application update (v1.2) for PLAYSTATION3 users.

This latest update provides PS3 users with added functionalities and features, including support for Remote Play for PSP, added protein simulations and visuals, as well as a screensaver mode which enables PS3 to consume slightly less power and increases the performance of protein-folding simulations.

User participation by the PS3 community continues to be very strong-in just five months more than 536,000 PS3 users worldwide have downloaded the Folding@home application, according to Sony.

Updated features and functionalities that are part of this latest application update (v 1.2) include:

-- Support for Remote Play for PSP -- Now Folding@home can be remotely operated through PSP utilizing the Remote Play feature of the PS3 system. With this feature, PS3 users are able to view on their PSP the exact same Folding@home information that is viewable on their PS3,complete with the map of the world and the protein that their particular system is simulating.

-- More Support for Additional Protein Simulations -- Additional computation cores are now supported allowing Folding@home for PS3 to support a wider range of protein-folding simulations which further enhances the science needed to be performed to research diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

-- Screensaver Mode -- A screensaver mode can now be activated via the Settings menu in the Folding@home application, allowing PS3 users to consume slightly less power and to increase performance of protein- folding simulations.

-- Link to Project Description -- A link has been added to the Information menu in the Folding@home application allowing users to quickly obtain additional information about the specific research project they are currently contributing to.

-- Protein Visualization Enhancements -- All visualization modes have been enhanced with improved shading, highlighting and focus effects, including: "Tapioca" displays the protein as a smooth surface with improved shading and depth; "Caviar" displays the protein as a smooth surface with defined edges; "Licorice" displays only the protein's bonds and "Backbone" which emphasizes specific sections of the protein that are of the most scientific interest to researchers.

-- Advanced Participation Mode -- Advanced participation mode allows Stanford University to send simulations of varying computational lengths to PS3 users. Because the simulations in this mode can take significantly longer, Advanced Mode is only recommended for contributors who run Folding@home for at least eight hours per day.

Folding@home is a distributed computing project aimed at understanding protein folding, misfolding and related diseases. Because the process of folding proteins is so complex, groups of computers are used to perform simulations to study the process.

PS3 users can download the updated version of the application (v1.2) by simply restarting the Folding@home application. New Folding@home users can join the program by simply clicking on the Folding@home icon within the Network menu of the XMB(TM) (XrossMediaBar) or can optionally set the application to run automatically whenever the PS3 is idle.