This allows for clever tricks such as concentrating virtual machines on as few computers as possible and switching off the rest to save energy.

ECONOMIST: Virtualisation

"Money and people are switching roles, " says Jaron Lanier, the innovator who coined the term "virtual reality" in the early 1980s.

FORBES: Reshaping Reality

One advantage gained from switching to a more fully featured design program was the ability to perform simulations and virtual stress tests.

ENGADGET: Engineering a better bicycle with DBC City Bike Design Alt