IvyMike

Contest results (from November): 0xDECAFC0FFEEBAD

Back in November, I had a contest: what's special about the number 62710628778699693?

Both Joe and Craig answered correctly: Converted to hex, it's "0xDECAFC0FFEEBAD". The Google calculator, my default choice, only lets you convert numbers as high as 0x40000000000. (Interestingly enough, the limit really is 0x40000000000, not 0x3ffffffffff). Many downlodable or javascript base converters choke on anything bigger than 32 bits. I was curious what tools people might try.

One tool I did not test was the Windows XP calculator, which does the conversion quite easily. That's what Joe used.

Craig wrote a custom C# application to do the conversion.

I guess the moral of the story is...Microsoft tools save the day???

Congrats to both! Craig, I still have your prize--remind me next time we go for lunch.

Labels: base conversion, contest, hex

posted by IvyMike @ 3/04/2007 10:55:00 PM