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Windows

Submission + - Windows and DST

Submitted by Ropati
Ropati writes: I don't write code and I have no significant understanding of how libraries interact in Windows, but I did see the Windows KB article — 932590 "FIX: Windows-based applications that use the TZ environment variable may not work as expected because of changes to DST". From what I can read, any code that calls the TZ variable from MSVCRT.dll, will not realize it is Daylight Savings Time.

What I don't know is how much code might make a call to this variable. If there are applications that do a comparison between a local TZ call and a UTC call or to an API that does a UTC call, couldn't this have cause issues?

My question to the coders of Slashdot is how impactful is this issue? Or, is TZ in the MSVCRT.dll so deprecated that this is a teapot tempest similar to Y2K?
The Internet

Submission + - Interview With a Founding Father of the Internet

Submitted by
roscoetoon
roscoetoon writes: "from Kelly Jackson Higgins's Blog: http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=118 596
An Interview With Vinton Cerf: Father Knows Best ...He's probably one of the only people at Google who can remember the Arpanet or what the Internet was like before the Web. And there's one thing few people know about Internet legend Vinton Cerf, who co-designed the TCP/IP stack that was used to build the Internet infrastructure: His secret wish is to be an actor... ...He remembers the days when being called a "hacker" was an honor. "It used to be an honorific at MIT. But the abusive practices that have become so visible on the Internet has given a bad connotation here," Cerf says. "Purists wish that we could apply some other terms so as to keep 'hacker' what it once was, but I think the language has become too polluted."... ...This obviously isn't your father of the Internet's Internet. Cerf says the biggest threats are the proliferation of spam, botnets, malware, and denial-of-service attacks. "Much work is needed to increase the security of the Internet and its connected computers," he says, "and to make the environment more reliable for everyone."..."
Sun Microsystems

Submission + - Java DST Patch Breaks DST

Submitted by
Christopher_G_Lewis
Christopher_G_Lewis writes: "This is just coming out, but Sun's DST patch "may break backward compatibility for the Eastern, Hawaiian, and Mountain time zones, under certain circumstances." DST: Daylight Saving Time Changes (2007) There's a Sun alert, but only for subscribed members: Sun Alert 102836 for Java. The introduction of Olson Timezone (TZ) data, version 2005r or greater, may break backward compatibility for the Eastern, Hawaiian, and Mountain time zones, under certain circumstances. This issue is also outlined in Sun BugIDs 6466476 and 6530336, listed at: 6466476 6530336"
Power

Submission + - Linux & Open Source Greener Than Windows

Submitted by
eldavojohn
eldavojohn writes: "A recent UK report is saying that Linux is greener than Windows upon deciding that Linux on a server will cause the machine to have a much longer life expectancy (up to twice) than the same machine running a Windows server. This, in turn, reduces the amount of e-waste that results from the operation of the machine. But the report doesn't stop there, it goes on to reason about open source in general: "One of the benefits frequently put forward for the use of open source software is the level of resources needed to support it. This means that for equivalent open source and Microsoft Windows systems, the open source will require less memory and a slower processor speed for the same functionality.""
Data Storage

Building an ODF Intranet Portal? 19

Posted by Cliff from the how-would-you-do-it dept.
jeevesbond writes "I have been doing some feasibility work on creating a FLOSS Intranet Portal for ODF documents; the first task is to find existing projects that already provide some of the required functionality. The requirements are: version control — including diff and merge capabilities for ODF; integration with OpenOffice for check-in/out as a starting point; a Web-based CMS for group sharing of files (preferably one that can be extended to perform other tasks); and network authentication for the CMS (so users don't have to login twice). The eventual aim is to be able to bundle all this up in some way: 'apt-get odf-portal', for instance. Which FLOSS tools would you use for this job? How would you handle diffs and merges for ODF documents?"
Data Storage

Submission + - Flash Memory To Replace Apple Hard Drives

Submitted by bbavar
bbavar writes: According to Reuters, Apple could soon "be among the first personal computer makers to use flash memory for storing data in computers, a step that some chip memory makers, including Micron Technology Inc., have said is inevitable as prices for flash decline and storage capacity increases." This could happen as soon as the second half of this year.
Software

Submission + - amCharts released Line & Area chart

Submitted by
zeroin
zeroin writes: "amCharts released Line & Area chart. This line and area chart is a new approach to usability of this kind of charts. Your site visitor will be able to zoom the period of his interest, turn on/off value balloons, show and hide graphs. You will be able to customize every small detail of your chart and make it look exactly as you want."
Windows

Microsoft Takes a 'Patch Tuesday' Break 151

Posted by CmdrTaco from the wish-i-could-take-a-post-friday-break dept.
Phill0 submitted a ZD story about Microsoft's week off which says "Microsoft has no new security updates planned for Tuesday, despite at least five zero-day vulnerabilities that are waiting to be fixed. The patch break could be a welcome respite for IT managers still busy testing the dozen fixes Microsoft released last month. Also, many IT pros may be occupied with the switch to daylight saving time, which at the behest of Congress, is happening three weeks earlier this year. "
Software

Submission + - DOA with SOA

Submitted by UML Commando
UML Commando writes: Are you DOA with SOA? This is a great article reminding us yet again that there are no silver bullets...there is no way to avoid rolling up ones sleeves and actually doing some engineering when adopting SOA or any other technology.
Wii

Spielberg Working on Wii Exclusive 36

Posted by Zonk from the just-don't-lose-your-grip dept.
GameDaily is reporting on comments made to them by EA Los Angeles General Manager Neil Young, stating that Steven Spielberg is working on a Wii title. Spielberg's relationship to the games giant is well known; we discussed it last year during E3. The site promises a more thorough interview next week, but for now just offers the promise of a Wii title with Spielberg's storytelling magic. "The first one, what I can tell you is what you'd expect, sort of, from a Steven Spielberg production. Steven's stories are intimate stories that take place around huge, world-changing events... sort of, big stories shown through the eyes of a small group. Doug Church is producing it... The second project is something Lou Castle is producing, one of the great producers in this industry, and that's one of the products we're building for the Wii. Very exciting and interesting..."
First Person Shooters (Games)

Submission + - Linux Games: any good ones?

Submitted by aunt edna
aunt edna writes: Pushed by the advent of Vista, my PC is heading off to Linux.
One of the many benefits I have enjoyed over the years from using Windows has been the availability of good games. (ok, you can re-phrase)

What games that run on Linux would slash-dotters recommend?
All types welcome — strategy, fps, whatever.
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - User-generated music videos on the rise

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: CNET.co.uk is reporting on a new spate of user-generated music videos. "We're talking about artists that deliberately use YouTube clips as their official music video — a phenomenon we've dubbed the user-generated music video," says the article.

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