Gearfuse

Google. Oprah. The two should really sit down for a cup of coffee sometime and talk billions. They actually have a lot in common, believe it or not. Oprah is more accustomed to giving out things like books and cars, but today, Google one upped the queen of daytime TV and gave out free Android-based G2 phones (aka HTC Magic). The recipients? Attendees of Google’s I/O developer conference. Rumor has it that the phone even comes with a SIM card with 30 days of talk and 3G access. Hey, it pays to be a fan of Google sometimes.

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Cracking software and generating serial numbers is nothing new. But what happens when a developer catches on and decides to play fun with you? Such is the case with USB Overdrive X. Enter a stolen or pirated serial number and this message will be displayed by the developer. An excellent point is made here: the little guy is getting hurt. This isn’t Adobe or Apple, this is an independent developer trying to feed his family.

I recently wrote about some software I actually paid out of pocket for. You should too if you’re running Bit Torrent 24/7.

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It might seem like the Playstation 2 is going the way of the dodo, but it’s not even close to burning out. That’s because Sony Europe’s developer relations manager George Bain announced that it’s no longer necessary for developers to submit upcoming titles to Sony for content approval. This makes the Playstation 2 officially an open platform, allowing indie developers to make their own games without having to pay licensing fees.

You’ll still have to purchase a development kit if you want to create anything worth playing, but with a little persuasion and charm, you can get Sony to lend you one. You’ve also got a better chance of kicking Chuck Norris’ ass.

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Up until now, Microsoft was peddling Windows Vista as it’s latest and greatest operating system. Sure, the company had briefly mentioned Windows 7 but it was just a codename and not much came out of it. Today, Microsoft is giving Windows 7 it’s official name and will be releasing developer betas soon. The official name of the next OS? Windows 7. Yup. Seems Microsoft was peachy with not changing the name since it’s the seventh Windows release.

What do you think? Dumb name? Glad Vista is finally coming to an end?

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Digi-Key has unleashed its power house single-board computer called the Beagle Board. This developer dream board is perfect for DIY projects and ground level design work. Don’t judge it by its size either, its processor: the ARM Cortex A8, runs up to 600MHz while delivering over 1,200 MIPS (million instructions per second). It packs quite a punch for a 3″ x 3″ board.

It connects to your computer via mini-A to standard-A adapter with a high speed USB 2.0 port and even supports 1280×1024 DVI-D video output. Listen, I could go on and on about the heat this baby’s packing, but it’d be best to get one for yourself and try it out. Maybe you’ve got what it takes to make a game on it, or even better: a robot. It’s relatively cheap, too. At $149, its the least expensive, most powerful development board on the market that I’ve heard of.

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