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Technology Stocks : Discuss Year 2000 Issues -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: NickSE who wrote (5578)	4/22/1999 12:27:00 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9818

Y2K legislation being discussed right now on CSPAN 2. Sen Christopher Dodd is currently speaking. Look for replays later on today or this week. Regards, Ron

To: NickSE who wrote (5578)	4/22/1999 3:38:00 PM
From: NickSE	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9818

Satellite glitch may hit ships In Y2K precursor, GPS clock reset could disrupt older navigation systems LONDON (CNNfn) - Shipping is getting a computer-glitch shakedown cruise several months before the potential Millennium Bug storm. On Aug. 22, ships at sea using older navigation equipment may find their systems dead because of a change in satellite clocks, according to the International Maritime Organization. "It is a potential problem," said a spokeswoman for the United Nations agency. Commercial shipping commonly uses a system of satellites, called the Global Positioning System, to track the location and movement of vessels around the world. The atomic clocks on the satellites, originally set in January 1980, have 1,024 weeks of memory, because of onboard computer limitations. On the night of August 21, the clocks will reset. Ships with pre-1994 equipment may not be able to interpret the reset clocks and the satellite tracking gear aboard will shut down, the IMO warned. "If the software in the GPS receiver is not programmed to deal with the rollover problem, then the receiver will internally interpret the new week as Jan. 6, 1980," the IMO said in a warning issued to shipping lines this week. "It might then stop tracking any satellite and the systems might not perform correctly." The shipping industry is viewing the problem as more of a nuisance that a real safety threat, however. While the IMO suggests all pre-1994 equipment be checked, industry experts believe only the oldest equipment will actually prove to be a problem. "The sets that would be affected are quite old and have probably been replaced by most owners already," said Peter Kidman, a marine adviser at the International Chamber of Shipping. Most sea captains, he pointed out, also have other navigation systems available, from land-based navigation radio beacons to hand held GPS units to sextants. The GPS rollover glitch is more of a warm-up for getting the shipping industry to prepare for the Year 2000 bug, when some microchip timers based on two-digit dates may fail to recognize the new year. "You have to go through the same procedures and preparation, really," said Mr. Kidman. Like the rollover glitch, ship owners are being encouraged by the IMO to review their equipment, find any possible problems, and prepare back-up systems in case the Y2K bug bites. "Failure to identify and correct systems that could be affected by the Y2K problem could result in a more serious safety problem such as the unexpected shutdown of the main engines and ships' navigation systems resulting in a collision or grounding of the ship," the IMO said. cnnfn.com