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Scientist offers last minute Y2K quick fix http://cnn.com/TECH/computing/9911/27/y2k.simple.solution/index.html November 27, 1999 Web posted at: 9:47 p.m. EST (0247 GMT)

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New numbering system developed

Former Berkeley academic

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From Correspondent Don Knapp

CAMPBELL, California (CNN) -- With time running out before the dawn of the year 2000, a California company is offering what it calls a quick and easy way to prevent some IBM computers from experiencing Y2K-related problems.

Bill Wattenburg, a former Lawrence Livermore National Weapons Laboratory scientist who developed the software, says he has changed the way IBM S/390s and similar computers do math.

VIDEO Correspondent Don Knapp reports on a man who says he has a solution for Y2K computer problems QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K Many computers could suffer serious glitches when January 1 arrives because their operating systems or software can recognize only the last year digits for calendar years. Since they cannot distinguish 2000 from 1900, some systems and programs are expected to fail.

New numbering system developed

But Wattenburg has created a new numbering system for computers to calculate years that he says will dodge the Y2K bullet. Instead of two "0" digits, the year 2000 will be represented by a two-digit algebraic symbol, in this case, 9A.

"It allowed me to do a simple thing, change all the decimal arithmetic in the computer, and incidentally, along the way it changes all the year dates that were the problem of Y2K," Wattenburg said.

With support from Sun Microsystems, Wattenburg and a team of scientists and former IBM engineers formed Y2K-OK!, a small Silicon Valley-based company that developed the Y2K audit and remediation programs.

The company's Web site says Sun "recognized the potential value of the Wattenburg solution and gave Y2K-OK! substantial support to implement it with the hope that it would be of value to computer users everywhere who are facing the expense of Y2K.

The site goes on to say, "Sun Microsytems does not endorse or market the Y2K-OK! products, nor does it have any financial interest in or affiliation with, Y2K-OK! Sun requested only that the Y2K AUDIT tool be offered free to the public."

The Y2K-OK! site also says that an IBM subsidiary provided substantial computer time that facilitated the development of the products. "IBM has no affiliation with Y2K-OK!, nor does it endorse or support the Y2K-OK! products," the site says.

"You can download free of charge the (Y2K-OK!) audit program that tells them if they have a problem," said Y2K-OK! representative Al McBride. "If you contact us and come visit our site, we'll give them free of charge the program that fixes the Y2K problem." Y2K-OK! expects to charge fees for large projects.

There are skeptics. Reviewers selected by two major scientific journals concluded that WattenburgUs Y2K solution was not worth publishing, according to the Y2K-OK! site.

-- Hokie;) (nn@va.com), November 28, 1999

Answers

x'99' + x'01' = x'9A'. What a concept. Sounds like the same thing Cory Hamasaki debugged several years ago. ... Oh, I get it -- it's not a BUG, it's a FEATURE!

-- The Whistler (I'm Here, I'm There, I'm Everywhere@so.beware), November 28, 1999.

Bill Wattenburg is an electrical engineer (Ph.d.) Has a talk show on KGO radio 810 San Francisco - Saturday and Sunday evenings. He's obnoxious as hell and smart in some ways. He lives in Quincy, CA on top of a mountain out in the boonies. He was born and raised in the logging idustry and lived without electricity during his childhood in a log cabin. If the power does go off, he can survive with no power, but he won't survive if he doesn't have any food or water. There's only one grocery store in Quincy, and I'm sure he's on well water..good luck Dr. Bill.

-- fester (fester@gunsmokeee.xcom), November 28, 1999.

Oh yeah, that will work. And there is plenty of time left for testing.

Hal-a-freaking-lula.

-- semper paratus (toss_out_the@dinty.moore), November 28, 1999.


semper...ROTFLMAO

-- y2knotok (karlacalif@aol.com), November 28, 1999.

"IBM has no affiliation with Y2K-OK!, nor does it endorse or support the Y2K-OK! products," the site says.

Duh. Dontcha think big blue would get behind something like this if it could clear the wave of litigation which is surely heading their way this year?

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), November 28, 1999.



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