Posted 03/03/09 at 10:24:21 AM by Paul Lilly

Don't fret if you missed out on one of the many celebrations around the globe toasting 1234567890 Day, we hear the Unix crowd can get a bit rowdy anyway. Now there's another reason to shed that pocket protector and let loose with your friends - Square Root Day!

You only have nine chances every century to celebrate Square Root Day, with this one falling on 3/3/09 (do the math).

"These days are like calendar comets, you wait and wait and wait for them, then they brighten up your day -- and poof -- they're gone," said Ron Gordonn, a Redwood City teacher.

While we can't understand why there wouldn't already be excitement over the holiday, Gordon started a contest to get people buzzing about the event. The winner, determined by who has the biggest Square Root Day event, will receive (wait for it...) $339.

Miss your chance to celebrate and you'll have to wait until April 4, 2016 for the next Square Root Day.

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Posted 02/13/09 at 09:45:24 AM by Paul Lilly

Stop a stranger in the street and ask them what today is and they'll most likely answer 'Friday the 13th.' But if someone tells you it's 1234567890 Day, you can bet they're a Unix geek. That's because at precisely 3:31:30 PM PST today, Unix clocks will read 1234567890.

Confused? Unlike traditional time, Unix time marks the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, which reaches 1.2 billion seconds today. The funky time system is also used by Linux, Java, JavaScript, Mac OS X, and more, says CNet.

Believe it or not, celebrations are being planned all around the world to mark the milestone. Those who live in San Francisco can raise a glass at The 21st Amendment on 563 Second Street, but parties are also being planned in places like Austria, Hungary, Dubai UAE, Armenia, and many other locales.

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Posted 01/15/09 at 03:50:44 AM by David Murphy

Draw the line in the sand!  It's the showdown the tech world has feared: Microsoft's upstart Windows 7 versus Linux.  We've seen plenty of volleys back and forth from both camps over the past few days, thanks to the beta launch of the Windows 7 operating system.  The new OS has a lot going for it--features that directly target the growing Linux base in the mobile PC market coupled with design elements that, honestly, look a lot like what we've seen in Linux desktop environments for some time now.  But will that be enough to topple the best the open-source world has to offer?  We dig deep into the arguments from both camps to find out whether Windows 7 is The Terminator... or John Conner.

Grab your flag of neutrality and read on!

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