Spring Break
This year, the time change springs forward
Daylight-saving time starts early, ends later
Jake Daggett
Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: News
Winter forward and fall back: it might not sound right, but that is how it's going to be this year.
In 2005, Congress passed a law amending daylight-saving time, when most of the country turns clocks ahead one hour.
Daylight-saving time will now begin at 2 a.m. this Sunday, three weeks earlier than the normal date, and it will end on the second Sunday of November.
The bill was passed in an effort to have more daylight hours to conserve energy.
This change has created concern that computers, cell phones and other electronic devices that change their clocks automatically for daylight-saving time will have problems updating.
Steps are being taken at OSU to try to avert such glitches in the university's computer systems.
"Most of our hectic running around was done last week," said Chris Sinnett, OSU information technology manager, who works at the computer help desk.
"ONID probably won't be affected, but if you have appointments in your PDA it may send your reminders an hour late," Sinnett said.
They have been receiving patches from software companies, which are computer codes that connect into a program and make them work with new changes.
Students can also download patches to update their own computers.
"If the users and the computer owners go to the update sites and get the patches they should be fine," said Steve Fowler, systems manager for technology support services.
For many, these potential issues are reminiscent of the Y2K scare at the end of the 20th Century, but Sinnett and Fowler said that this case is different.
"This is going to be more troublesome for the everyday user," Sinnett said.
"Y2K affected more programs than this. This is about your calendar - Y2K was about if anything would work in the morning," Fowler said.
Fowler is confident that the systems at OSU should function properly.
"For the most part, the people who have looked at this should have everything pretty much taken care of," he said.
Daylight-saving time started as part of a Congressional act in 1918 in order to conserve resources for the war effort, however, it was repealed the next year due to unpopularity.
It was not a part of the law again until World War II, when it was known as "War Time." War Time started on Feb. 2, 1942 and ended Sept. 30, 1945.
Then, in 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which brought daylight-saving time back.
Congress has changed daylight-saving time in the past in an effort to save money. According to a study Time magazine cited, with this newest change, the U.S. could save as much as $4.4 billion by 2020.
"There has yet to be any conclusive evidence of this savings in the 100 years we've had to research it," writes Bob Aldrich, Web master (and Former Information Officer) for the California Energy Commission. "Studies done in the 1970s by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that we trim the entire country's electricity usage by about one percent each day with daylight-saving time."
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Some things to know about various devices:
PDA - Most handheld devices, such as BlackBerries, will need updates. Check company Web sites for the specific information.
Mac/PC - Some systems will need to be updated, others will update on their own. If you own a Windows based machine, click here. Mac users, click here.
TV/DVR - Comcast, TiVo and other digital providers have prepared for the change. But those who bought their own DVR may need to take steps to transition.
Cell Phones - Cell phones will update automatically, much like they do when entering new time zones. But it may be wise to check bills for things like evening minutes.
In 2005, Congress passed a law amending daylight-saving time, when most of the country turns clocks ahead one hour.
Daylight-saving time will now begin at 2 a.m. this Sunday, three weeks earlier than the normal date, and it will end on the second Sunday of November.
The bill was passed in an effort to have more daylight hours to conserve energy.
This change has created concern that computers, cell phones and other electronic devices that change their clocks automatically for daylight-saving time will have problems updating.
Steps are being taken at OSU to try to avert such glitches in the university's computer systems.
"Most of our hectic running around was done last week," said Chris Sinnett, OSU information technology manager, who works at the computer help desk.
"ONID probably won't be affected, but if you have appointments in your PDA it may send your reminders an hour late," Sinnett said.
They have been receiving patches from software companies, which are computer codes that connect into a program and make them work with new changes.
Students can also download patches to update their own computers.
"If the users and the computer owners go to the update sites and get the patches they should be fine," said Steve Fowler, systems manager for technology support services.
For many, these potential issues are reminiscent of the Y2K scare at the end of the 20th Century, but Sinnett and Fowler said that this case is different.
"This is going to be more troublesome for the everyday user," Sinnett said.
"Y2K affected more programs than this. This is about your calendar - Y2K was about if anything would work in the morning," Fowler said.
Fowler is confident that the systems at OSU should function properly.
"For the most part, the people who have looked at this should have everything pretty much taken care of," he said.
Daylight-saving time started as part of a Congressional act in 1918 in order to conserve resources for the war effort, however, it was repealed the next year due to unpopularity.
It was not a part of the law again until World War II, when it was known as "War Time." War Time started on Feb. 2, 1942 and ended Sept. 30, 1945.
Then, in 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which brought daylight-saving time back.
Congress has changed daylight-saving time in the past in an effort to save money. According to a study Time magazine cited, with this newest change, the U.S. could save as much as $4.4 billion by 2020.
"There has yet to be any conclusive evidence of this savings in the 100 years we've had to research it," writes Bob Aldrich, Web master (and Former Information Officer) for the California Energy Commission. "Studies done in the 1970s by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that we trim the entire country's electricity usage by about one percent each day with daylight-saving time."
Some things to know about various devices:
PDA - Most handheld devices, such as BlackBerries, will need updates. Check company Web sites for the specific information.
Mac/PC - Some systems will need to be updated, others will update on their own. If you own a Windows based machine, click here. Mac users, click here.
TV/DVR - Comcast, TiVo and other digital providers have prepared for the change. But those who bought their own DVR may need to take steps to transition.
Cell Phones - Cell phones will update automatically, much like they do when entering new time zones. But it may be wise to check bills for things like evening minutes.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
namenotreleased
posted 3/09/07 @ 10:13 AM PST
If "There has yet to be any conclusive evidence of this savings in the 100 years we've had to research it," why are we still doing it and why did Congress waste time and money to change the time of year we preform this rediculous act? How much time and money has been wasted already on researching the fact that it hasn't saved us anything, what did it cost to bring the vote before the Congress?
I am outraged by the waste of taxpayer dollars. (Continued…)
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