Virtual Droids

Ian McGurven looks at how to run Android apps on your computer

Virtualisation, the running of an operating system within another operating system, isn't a new idea by a long long way. In fact, for some operating systems it represented the only way of using one in a different environment. Windows, for example, was only able to exist on a non-x86 platform such as Mac OS by virtue of being hosted in a virtual machine. Virtualisation has come a long way since then, though, far from the curios of back then to business as usual for many, and virtual machine use in enterprise is common practice for loading separate 'servers' on to one single server.

It's not just for desktop operating systems, though, and recently Google itself added to the pile of methods with which the Android OS can be virtualised, with a Chrome extension called Arc Welder. How does it stack up to the competition?

Free Linux Books

What's available, and where can you get them?

I was looking for a specific book on Linux commands the other day, as a kind of relearning and getting back to the CLI exercise, after I realised I had been spending far too much time using the GUI way of navigating and controlling Linux.

After some Googling, I was quite surprised as to how many free ebooks are available for Linux. Naturally, there are loads for other systems, programs and whatnots, but since it was Linux I was searching for, they were the ones that cropped up.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few of the fine examples I found with you.

Should You Upgrade Your Processor?

We look at whether you really need to get a new CPU

Upgrading your processor is always a big deal, and in many systems it's the most expensive upgrade you'll even make - not just because CPUs can be expensive, but because it often requires you to buy a new motherboard and potentially new RAM, and maybe even a new PSU just so it can happen! In many cases, a CPU upgrade isn't a simple old-for-new swap; it's a major piece of invasive surgery on your system.

So how do you know when a CPU upgrade is worth doing and when it should be avoided?

Easy Gaming Upgrades

Giving your PC some extra power doesn't have to be difficult, as this little show...

Keeping up with gaming is a difficult task. You can buy a top-of-the-line PC, and within months it's starting to creak under the demands of the latest titles. Buy a mid-level system, and by the time a year has passed, it's practically obsolete! Sometimes it seems like older systems barely have a chance.

But getting a gaming system doesn't mean you have to junk your existing PC and buy a new one. A few smart upgrades can put your system back in the business of playing games. Sometimes you don't even need to replace the hardware, just give it a little maintenance. Either way, if you want to squeeze some extra gaming performance out of your system, we’ve put together this list of tips, tricks and upgrades you can perform to help rejuvenate an otherwise ailing PC.

DrawPlus X8

Serif rolls out its latest version of DrawPlus X8 for desktop designers

The name DrawPlus pretty much sums up what this product is all about, because it's not your normal illustration program; it's much more than that. Combining traditional vector based drawing tools, with art style brushes, photo editing and animation, it's more like a designer's toolkit. I've mentioned before that companies like Serif regularly roll out new versions of its software, yet not always with enough new content to make an upgrade worthwhile. This is not the case here, because the new additions to DrawPlus X8 are well conceived and seamlessly integrated into the product. Adding many new facilities to what was already a very accomplished product.

Edifier MP211 Speaker

A small fully portable and rechargeable Bluetooth speaker, (with extras) from Edifier

Since the last time I looked at a portable speaker from Edifier, these devices seem to be popping up everywhere, from adverts in MM, unsolicited mail-shots, even market stalls. Unfortunately a great many of these can only be described as abysmal, producing a tinny rasping noise, rather than anything resembling quality sound. This is due to the inferior components used in their construction, and the price is generally a clue as to the quality you're likely to get, although I believe your ears should always be the best judge.