$timezone just returns your internal clocks setting.
im gmt-5 (eatern us/canada) so it returns 18000.
//echo -a $calc($timezone / 3600) returns 5
//echo -a $duration($timezone,1) returns 5hrs
as for a use i guess it has its uses.. though i never needed it.
not really much to explain about it..
-hope that helped at least a little -cheers