Windows 3.1 crash puts French airport out of commission

By Matthew S. Smith November 13, 2015

FAA drone test. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Windows 10 was just released, but ancient versions of the operating system are still used across the globe. We’re not just talking about Windows XP, either. In a bizarre turn of events, it appears Windows 3.1 forced the temporary closure of a French airport in Paris last Saturday.

Why does a modern airport use Windows 3.1? It has to do with legacy software — in this case, a program called DECOR, which is used by air traffic control to communicate weather information with pilots in poor conditions.

Without it, pilots flying in or out of the airport couldn’t receive information about visibility conditions, making flights more hazardous. That wouldn’t have forced a closure under clear skies, but the glitch occurred as fog was rolling in, forcing the airport to halt all flights as a precaution.

The situation highlighted the use of aging software across infrastructure both public and private. According to the secretary general of the French air traffic controller union, the use of Windows 3.1 to run DECOR is no oddity. Airports in the country use a hodge-podge of operating systems, including various versions of Windows from 3.1 to XP, and UNIX.

Despite the glitch, it seems unlikely that a replacement system will be available any time soon. Software like DECOR, once implemented, becomes difficult to replace because it’s not easy to update. Every addition to the system must be rigorously vetted to ensure safety.

The security of software used by airports has become a greater concern in 2015. Earlier this year, United Airlines’ entire fleet was grounded because of software problems. It responded by starting a bug bounty program, which was paid out in the form of a one million sky miles to two white-hat hackers. The specific details of what vulnerability the hackers found remain unknown.

In May, a man named Chris Roberts was questioned by the FBI for allegedly hacking an in-flight entertainment system and then issuing a “climb” command to one of the engines. However, Boeing states that is not possible because the entertainment and flight systems are separate. An investigation by Wired confirmed that.

Editors' Recommendations

What is USB 3.1?

Topics

Matthew S. Smith

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Matthew S. Smith is the former Lead Editor, Reviews at Digital Trends. He previously guided the Products Team, which dives…

Computing

Dell’s XPS 13 for $599 deal is back, and who knows for how long

The Dell XPS 13 in front of a window.

Dell almost always has great laptop deals and for a little while now, it’s been selling an older model of the Dell XPS 13 for just $599. That deal continues today but we’re really not sure how long it’s going to stick around for. It feels like it must be ending very soon. The laptop usually costs $799 so you’re saving $200 but overall, this is a fantastic deal for the hardware involved. If you’re keen to learn more before the deal ends, keep reading.

Why you should buy the Dell XPS 13
Dell is one of the best laptop brands out there so you simply can’t go wrong with purchasing from it. With this model, you get a 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1230U processor along with 8GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage. There’s also a 13.4-inch full HD+ screen with 1920 x 1200 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and anti-glare properties. That’s fairly standard stuff at this price but it’s the build quality of the Dell XPS 13 which makes it stand out so much.

Computing

M4 vs. M3: How much better are Apple’s latest chips?

An official rendering of the Apple M4 chip.

Apple has announced the M4 chip, its successor to the M3 that’s currently found in a bunch of Macs and iPads. The M3 is an excellent chip and a real leap above the M2 that came before it, so the question is whether the M4 can manage a similar feat.

Right now, the M4 is only in the iPad Pro, and that means information about how good it is and what it does is rather limited. But if you’re interested in finding out more, you’re in luck, as we’ve gathered up everything we know about Apple’s M4 chip and compared it side by side with the M3. If you want to learn more about Apple’s next chip -- and how it compares to the M3 -- read on.
Where can you find these chips?

Computing

iMac deals: New, renewed and refurbished iMac computers

Apple iMac with Retina 5K Display review close

If you're in the Apple ecosystem and need a desktop computer rather than something like a MacBook, then you'll want to go for the Apple iMac, which is one of the best all-in-one computers on the market. There are quite a few screen sizes and specs to pick from, and if you're willing to go for a renewed option, you can get some older yet still powerful iMacs for a great price with desktop deals. Even if you aren't, there are still some great Apple deals you can take advantage of to save yourself some money, which is why we went out and scoured the internet for the best deals we could find. If you need something portable, check out MacBook deals. For extra savings, check out refurbished MacBook deals.
Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2018) Renewed -- $409, was $460

Even cheaper than any of the MacBook deals going on, this Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2018) might be a few years old but it offers plenty of juice for the price. That's the beauty behind many iMacs -- they last a long time thanks to offering reliable hardware and the benefits of MacOS, which tends to mean they stay fast for awhile. In the case of the 2018 21.5-inch iMac, you get a 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor paired up with 16GB of memory which is a great set of specs for ensuring you can get plenty of work done.