Fergie's Tech Blog

Aussie Daylight Savings Time Change Confuses Computers

Andrew Thomas writes on The Inquirer:

THOSE WACKY ANTIPODEANS have left themselves open to all kinds of misery by changing the date on which daylight saving time ends. While World+Dog put their clocks forward an hour today, Bruce+Dingo are waiting until April 2nd so as not to affect the Commonwealth Games.

Trouble is, practically every computer in the known universe – including Australia – will have already automatically reset their clocks last night. Both Microsoft and Apple have issued patches to delay the changeover, but only Ockers signed up for automatic updates will know what time of day it is. MS points out that even with the patch applied, appointment times already scheduled in Outlook for between 3.00am March 26th and 3.00am on April 2nd will still be an hour out.

This means that for all this week, many Ozzy computers will be displaying the wrong time, causing people to arrive at barbies an hour early or late and face either the horror of overcooked prawns and warm beer, or raw prawns and food poisoning.

posted by Fergie @ 3/26/2006 02:02:00 PM