Hackers have figured out how to run unauthorized programs and games on the U.S. version of Sony's (NYSE: SNE) Latest News about Sony new handheld game console, according to published reports this week. Sony was not immediately available for comment.

Sony has installed controls to prevent gaming enthusiasts from running programs and games on the Playstation Portable that are not licensed by the company. This includes classic games designed for use in older versions of the company's game consoles. But hackers have nonetheless been successful in unlocking the handheld machine's capabilities.

IDC video game analyst Shelley Olhava told TechNewsWorld that hacking gaming consoles is not a new idea, nor is Sony the only victim.
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Victim. Victim. Do you hear that?

Using hardware you purchased to run whatever goddamn piece of software you feel like writing or buying is victimizing Sony??!

If I want to be able to play my purchased copy of Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 (that's a joke, stay with me folks!) on my Sony PSP -- and I can figure out how to do it -- that is victimizing Sony? How?

What kind of Orwellian bullshit groupthink is this?

It's about as ridiculous as a car company telling you what kind of modifications you can make ..uh ...to the software in your own car... Hm. Bad example.

Imagine Ore Idia forcing you to cook your steak fries in your oven at 450° for precisely 8 minutes? Still soggy? Tough shit.

Suppose your washing machine won't turn on because there is an RFID tag in the sweater that insist on going to the dry cleaner. Sorry.

Maybe the cap won't come off until the bottle reaches an Optimal Beer Drinking temperature^™.

Could it be that the war for our minds is already lost and without a shot fired?