Microsoft: Office Programmed Before Daylight Savings Law Changed, Appointments May Be Incorrect

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For three weeks this March and April, Microsoft Corp. warns that users of its calendar programs ''should view any appointments... as suspect until they communicate with all meeting invitees.''

If you use any Microsoft calendar programs you’ll need to download a fix to make sure your appointments display correctly. Beginning March 11, all appointments on software programmed before the Daylight Savings Law changed will display incorrect start times. From Hackzine:

For three weeks this March and April, Microsoft Corp. warns that users of its calendar programs ”should view any appointments… as suspect until they communicate with all meeting invitees.”

Wow, that’s sort of jarring — is something treacherous afoot?

Actually, it’s a potential problem in any software that was programmed before a 2005 law decreed that daylight-saving time would start three weeks earlier and end one week later, beginning this year. Congress decided that more early evening daylight would translate into energy savings.

Software created earlier is set to automatically advance its timekeeping by one hour on the first Sunday in April, not the second Sunday in March (that’s March 11 this year).

To fix it, download this.—MEGHANN MARCO

March 11 to April 1, all meetings are suspect [Hackzine]

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