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Engadget

nerdfight

Engadget editor admits to creating "Boycott Gizmodo" site

Know that old saying "keep your friends close and your enemies closer"? Former Engadget editor Ryan Block has put it into practice by tapping former Gizmodo editor Brian Lam — now the site's editorial director — to help advise them on their new gadget startup gdgt. In doing so, Block has ended — or at least set aside — a long-term gadget-blog rivalry which frothed with animosity. (Gizmodo, like Valleywag, is published by Gawker Media.) At times, the competition got dirty — like the time Block created an anonymous blog slamming Lam for a post about the iPhone. More »

brian lam

With Engadget nemesis gone, Gizmodo editor soft-retires

After two years at the helm of the gadget blog, Gizmodo editor Brian Lam has gotten himself kicked upstairs. The former Wired staffer will now focus on live event coverage as an assistant managing editor for our mutual parent company, Gawker Media. Lam will also retain an "editorial director" title at Gizmodo — I'm not sure what that means except someone's been reading too many Condé Nast mastheads. Lam became a gadget-geek cult hero for his aggressive competition with former Engadget editor Ryan Block, who split last month to launch a startup called GDGT. (Lam's even helping Block out as an advisor.) Here's an excerpt of the announcement from Gawker's internal mailing list. More »

online advertising

Facebook exposes its advertisers to trolls

New Facebook ads play video and allow user comments. Inside Facebook's Justin Smith gushes over the new format, saying it has the "potential to drive much more engagement than any ad product on the site ever before has." Though that's not saying much, considering Facebook ads' notoriously low click through rates, we're still skeptical. Except for Valleywag's, of course, Internet commenters are trolls who hate life. Exposing Madison Avenue's clients to them is not going to make brands more comfortable advertising on Facebook. There's also precedent. Gadget blog Engadget, which for its size, does much better than Facebook with advertising, tried allowing users to comment on ads back in 2005. Called "Focus Ads," the product no longer exists.

ryan block

Engadget editor officially gone next month

"I've decided to step down as editor of this publication in late August so as to start a new company," writes Engadget editor Ryan Block, confirming earlier rumors. In theory, his replacement is ready. In practice, having worked with the guy, I'm sure it's going to be tough to match his 24x7 obsession with winning at everything. Here's the newsy part of Block's goodbye post: More »

rumormonger

Engadget's top editor leaving for vague new startup

Ryan Block, the perpetually-in-hyperdrive head of consumer electronics superblog Engadget, is quitting the site after two years to launch a new site with his predecessor, blog millionaire and RCRD LBL founder Peter Rojas. A TechCrunch report stops short of further facts, but correctly dismisses the notion that Block's plans can be reverse-engineered by looking up the 39 domain names he owns — do you really believe Mr Always-On didn't think of that angle? More »

Blogger nominates himself for CEO of Motorola's cell-phone spinoff Engadget editor Ryan Block, noting that Motorola is struggling to find a leader for its cell-phone business, volunteers for the job. [Engadget] MORE »

blogging for dollars

Gizmodo vs. Engadget in Wired -- the 100-word version

The April issue of Wired has a lengthy piece on gadget blogs. Most of the focus is on Gizmodo (disclosure: Valleywag is owned by Gawker Media, parent company to Gizmodo) and the rise of the gadget blogs in influence and reach. It's worth a read, but if you're too busy frantically reloading Engadget and Gizmodo to read the whole thing, we've tagged the high points below. More »

superficial

Internet commenter points out Ryan Block prettier than Moby

The commenter who has it out for Engadget editor-in-chief Ryan Block is emailing us again. The scandalous newsflash he has for us? That Block shaves his head, making him look a bit like the singer Moby. If you ask us, Moby looks like a much less handsome Ryan Block. (Photo by livedigitally)

commentards

If this tip about Engadget's Ryan Block were in English, I bet it would be interesting

We tried to translate a tip, above, about some comment purportedly deleted by Engadget editor-in-chief Ryan Block, but we failed. Maybe it's revealing enough as is — about the would-be Engadget commenter, not Block. Click to expand the email. More »

breakdowns

Apple ads clever, tend to crash your browser


An Apple ad bashing Microsoft's Vista OS, captured in the video above, became a viral sensation almost immediately after its launch, AdWeek reports. Running on CNET, Engadget and PCWorld, video of the the ad caught on with YouTube and blogs, including Valleywag. The only problem? While Vista may crash your PC, according to Apple, Apple's ad tended to crash users' browsers. Engadget editor Ryan Block went so far as to pull the ad temporarily and apologize to readers. More »