Technology Bytes

Just some obligatory vacation highlights –

If you’ve ever made a mark in a dictionary when you learned a new word, then you have Dr. Samual Johnson to thank. He completed the first compendium of the English language in 1755, having done much of his work near the pub called Ye Old Cheshire Cheese. I had a couple of pints there and sat in his seat, which was just a few down from where Charles Dickens often sat.

This next observation was a little disconcerting. On the return flight from London Gatwick to Houston IAH, the Local Time was off in the cabin due to the Daylight Saving Time change. The pilot announced that the error was due to the cabin entertainment system software not being updated for the new DST times. I would assume that the software in the cockpit reflected the correct times, but the crew were dodgy about answering any questions relating to the Y2K7 bug.

And another important date…

This Sunday is April first, meaning that you’ll want to be wary of sites such as slashdot.org and thinkgeek.com. April Fools web hoaxes have been popular since before the creation of the web, with some notable figures going all out. “On March 31, 1989 thousands of motorists driving on the highway outside London looked up in the air to see a glowing flying saucer descending on their city. Many of them pulled to the side of the road to watch the bizarre craft float through the air. The saucer finally landed in a field
on the outskirts of London where local residents immediately called the police to warn them of an alien invasion. Soon the police arrived on the scene, and one brave officer approached the craft with his truncheon extended before him. When a door in the craft popped open, and a small, silver-suited figure emerged, the policeman ran in the opposite direction. The saucer turned out to be a hot-air balloon that had been specially built to look like a UFO by Richard Branson, the 36-year-old chairman of Virgin Records. The
stunt combined his passion for ballooning with his love of pranks. His plan was to land the craft in London’s Hyde Park on April 1. Unfortunately, the wind blew him off course, and he was forced to land a day early in the wrong location.”

That’s it for your April Fools 411 and that’s that for BarretTime.