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CKLW listener Gerald in Detroit, Michigan has a question about Android:
There are new versions of android that plays nice with x86 hardware. Have you guys had a chance to play with this? I have a lot of x86 machines sitting around and would like to breathe new life into them. Do any of these new Android programs work well with x86 processors?
There are two ways to run Android on your old computers (other than by using an emulator like BlueStacks that is):
You can run Android-x86, a version of Android specifically designed to work on computers, but keep in mind that this is a non-commercial project, so not many computers are actually supported, and the things may or may not go well, don’t expect much.
Your other option if you’re using an Intel based computer is to download Intel’s own distribution, the people at Intel are not particularly creative so it’s just called “Android on Intel Architecture” or Android-iA. Unfortunately this version of Android won’t work on every Intel device either, since it was designed to be installed on some tablet computers as a way to give users a second OS.
If you just want to breathe new life into those old machines your best bet is probably Linux
If you just want to breathe new life into those old machines your best bet is probably Linux. There are tons of different Linux distributions and many of them will play nice with older computers. In the end if you use Linux you will be able to do more and the experience will be less awkward, since you probably don’t have touch screen capabilities on your old computers.
Brian in Nashville, Tennessee listens on WTN 99.7
Is there an antenna I can plug into my Asus tablet that will boost its wi-fi reception?
Brian, unfortunately you won’t find an antenna for your tablet.
You best bet is probably to try to improve the wireless coverage you get from your router by either moving it to a different location or by adding a wireless extender.
If you were talking about a computer, you could look into cards or even homemade solutions, but for a tablet, all you get is a little chip inside the case, and some inner wiring to act as an antenna.
Sorry, we don’t have better news, Brian.