AfterDawn: News

Android hacker, dev offered job by Sony but declines

It appears that Sony is at least looking into acquiring talent from the hacking scene.

Sony America recruiter Sarah McRae sent an email off to Android OS hacker Koushik Datta (aka Koush) offering an interview for a position on Sony's R&D team.



Koush was grateful but responded:

I appreciate that I have been contacted. The opportunity sounds very interesting! However, given Sony’s recent treatment of a fellow hacker George Hotz (@ geohot), I could not in good conscience work at Sony

The hacker/dev also added that Android has been good to him:

To clear up any confusion, I was not offered a job, just an interview, which I declined out of principle. For those saying “I’m going to regret being principled”, etc. Probably not. Android App sales have been more than good to me. Good, enterprising, devs should never find themselves short of opportunities.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Mar 2011 17:10

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• 14 comments

• A5J4DX

  proud :)
  

  16.3.2011 17:26 #1

• ghettofabolousguy (unverified)

  SONY POWNED!!! HA HA

  16.3.2011 17:32 #2

• rvinkebob

  They even consider something like this without taking into account that it would actually be beneficial to them to hire an actual PS hacker. Instead, they "attempt" to hire a hacker of another system, and get outright shunned. Serves them right...
  
  And I just have to add... is there any explanation to why Sony is doing everything ass backwards as of late?

  16.3.2011 17:41 #3

• qintoobli

  I like how the email before the @ has been removed yet in the "sent" message - gmail only shows the bit before the @ - so an attempt to hide the email address has been thwarted.

  16.3.2011 18:21 #4

• biglo30

  Values mean more to him than the money. Good for him.
  

  
  

  16.3.2011 20:10 #5

• KillerBug

  I LoL'd at this hard...good for you Koush!
  

  
  

  16.3.2011 23:32 #6

• abbadebo

  Originally posted by rvinkebob: They even consider something like this without taking into account that it would actually be beneficial to them to hire an actual PS hacker. Instead, they "attempt" to hire a hacker of another system, and get outright shunned. Serves them right...
  
  And I just have to add... is there any explanation to why Sony is doing everything ass backwards as of late? Don't forget about the playstation phone running on android. Thats probably why their looking in that specific area for talent. I was looking forward to that phone awhile ago, now I think I'll pass lol.

  17.3.2011 00:42 #7

• xboxdvl2

  im guessing they want someone who can crack the ps4s os and then change it so its harder to hack.treat people badly and karma kicks in.
  

  married to my car and computer.both of them have problems.

  17.3.2011 01:53 #8

• shortybob

  Hey, Sony, guess what? SUCK IT! That's what!
  

  17.3.2011 02:59 #9

• dEwMe

  Yeah...Wonder if he got a response offering to pay him up front via a money order for $10k over the amount if he agreed to wire $2k of it to her uncle in Nigeria?
  
  Who knows? Maybe it's legit...lol
  
  

  Just my $0.02,
  
  dEwMe

  17.3.2011 08:58 #10

• xtago

  Oh who cares about Geohot he's F'n usless at hacking.
  
  The real hackers laugh at him behind his back, even Failoverflow have said he's simply using their hack and adjusted it, to get the key.
  
  Now he's banging on about being the first person to ever hack an Android phone, the edited by ddp is living in dreamland as just about every Android phone released has been hacked by someone other than Geohot.
  
  He acts like he's the only person who can hack something do could ever hack something and do it.
  
  I read up on other Iphone hackers complaining about his shitty iphone hacks that edited by ddp up your Iphone memory as it's a mem hack that after a while edited by ddp the phone up and you have to wipe everything.
  
  Where as other hacks don't do this and you don't have any problems in the future.
  
  In Australia you can ask for your Iphone to be unlocked for free anyway it's just a pain in the ass way of doing it.

  17.3.2011 09:11 #11

• shortybob

  Originally posted by xtago: Oh who cares about Geohot he's F'n usless at hacking.
  
  The real hackers laugh at him behind his back, even Failoverflow have said he's simply using their hack and adjusted it, to get the key.
  
  Now he's banging on about being the first person to ever hack an Android phone, the edited by ddp is living in dreamland as just about every Android phone released has been hacked by someone other than Geohot.
  
  He acts like he's the only person who can hack something do could ever hack something and do it.
  
  I read up on other Iphone hackers complaining about his shitty iphone hacks that edited by ddp up your Iphone memory as it's a mem hack that after a while edited by ddp the phone up and you have to wipe everything.
  
  Where as other hacks don't do this and you don't have any problems in the future.
  
  In Australia you can ask for your Iphone to be unlocked for free anyway it's just a pain in the ass way of doing it.
  You, sir, sound quite like a Sony-employed troll.

  17.3.2011 19:54 #12

• KillerBug

  geohot does not make finished products...he makes tools for others to use, he exposes hacks for others to exploit. Using one of his firmwares as a day-to-day OS is usually a bad idea.
  

  
  

  17.3.2011 23:17 #13

• osa444

  using hacker to war about hacker..great idea
  look like sony DOWN

  18.3.2011 05:01 #14