MP3 device hit by Year 2000 glitch

The latest victims are two MP3 software devices from Visiosonic and Audio Box, which crashed on users just as the new year rolled in.

Users of Visiosonic's PHAT MP3 player were informed by the company that a piece of software associated with the player, called a dynamically linked library (DLL), had expired after the start of the new year. DLLs are collections of Windows files that various applications call on to perform specific tasks.

The company said the file, named slcdrip.dll, had a built-in timer and was set to expire on Jan. 1. The Florida-based company is directing users to download a new file named dllfix.exe to fix the player.

Audio Box's Amps Pro interface software uses a custom algorithm for counting dates, which malfunctioned during the century-date rollover.

"It affected one line of code and only took five minutes to fix and post a patch," said an Audio Box spokesman.

The company has posted a patch on its Web site.

The Year 2000 problem, also known as the millennium bug, stems from an old programming shortcut that used only the last two digits of the year.

While many experts predicted widespread computer problems, even outright economic recession due to the bug, few glitches have surfaced so far. Some experts maintain that additional problems will surface later this month, as big companies run once-a-month applications, such as payroll systems, that could contain Y2K glitches.