Introducing Engadget Alt

Hello and welcome readers old and new alike. You certainly picked a good time to check in on the site, because today we're introducing a new section of Engadget known as Alt (or alt.engadget.com). Whatever you want to think of it as is fine with us -- Alternative, altered, just plain alt -- the main thing you need to know is that it's a new spot on the site where we can cover content that might be a little outside of the norm for us. Content that's just hovering on the fringe of what we'd consider mainstream gadget and tech news. We're hoping to use this space to delve a little deeper into the universe of tech -- not just the gooey, gadgety core, but the satellites of policy, philosophy, art, meta content, and more. We want to not just tell the stories we normally tell on Engadget, Engadget Mobile, and Engadget HD, but to go further into what those stories mean, touch on related content that isn't just hard gadget news, and even get a up close and personal with our own (and guest writers') thoughts on the world we live in.

So, we hope you like what you see (you'll notice new articles cropping up immediately), but if you're a hardcore reader, rest assured this new content won't hit your feeds, and we won't bash you over the head with full articles in your mainstream Engadget flow. In fact, we've come up with a way of showing snippets of Alt posts clearly designated on our front page -- a method we think will make it easy to focus on main Engadget news but still be able to glance at what's happening elsewhere on the site (you can see a screen grab after the break). And don't be shy -- let us know what you'd like to see at alt.engadget.com, and how we can bring more content to the site that you want to see -- we're all ears!

Alt RSS feed -- If you want to subscribe to Alt's RSS feed, you can do it right here.
Full RSS feed -- On the other hand, if you want the full monty (AKA, all of the blogs in one big feed), you can find that right here!

[AlexCull Posted May 26th 2010 2:55PM]

Oh snap.

[richb93 Posted May 26th 2010 3:04PM]

@AlexCull Very cool.

[werty1432k Posted May 26th 2010 3:06PM]

@AlexCull I'm liking this! I usually go to Gizmodo for quirkier gadget news so I'm glad to see this.

Go Engadget!

[SolidSnake Posted May 26th 2010 3:07PM]

@AlexCull
So if I press the alt key on any computer, I get sent to Engadget?
Sweeeeeet. Readership will go through the roof..

[bigdonny Posted May 26th 2010 3:08PM]

@werty1432k

how about more video game news, i go to joystiq for gaming news mostly but it couldn't hurt to put it into this new section, video games are pretty high tech after all, also i like engadget's layout and commenters more

[tybert7 Posted May 26th 2010 3:11PM]

@AlexCull I wonder if Lord Vader will get his own posting section...

[satish Posted May 26th 2010 3:16PM]

@AlexCull that big green logo makes me feel...NICE! AN ANOTHER TIME SINK!! Wooho!

[abedinthehouse Posted May 26th 2010 3:16PM]

Hopefully this will get more viewers and commenters than Engadget Mobile and HD.

[Beatnik Posted May 26th 2010 3:21PM]

@AlexCull
I am kinda loyal to BoingBoing, but happy to have more options.

[dardub Posted May 26th 2010 3:33PM]

@SolidSnake
But mac's don't have alt keys. How will all the engadget team get to their site?

[N900 Posted May 26th 2010 3:34PM]

@satish Altgadget! I'm gonna pin this next to my Hulu icon on the taskbar. They'll be best friends.

[abedinthehouse Posted May 26th 2010 3:45PM]

If only there were some way I could press "alt + e" and automatically come here.

[ihve2cuties Posted May 26th 2010 3:53PM]

@AlexCull O YEA !!!time for a  and hopefully they will update the iphone app soon

[trealtp Posted May 26th 2010 4:00PM]

@AlexCull

Its funny I was thinking about this earlier, I wanted you to interview non professional software devs say from XDA and find out about projects they are working on. Ex. Porting WP7 or Android to the HD2, catch my drift?

[coolpal Posted May 26th 2010 4:11PM]

@AlexCull
Why not spend some time and effort in fixing the comment system... stop eating comments is what we need first :(

[Bakerdk Posted May 26th 2010 4:19PM]

FYI Engadget,

I can't get to Alt from HD or Mobile...only from the main Engadget page...

Is that intentional? Otherwise, looks good to me.


.

[Dale P Posted May 26th 2010 5:19PM]

@SolidSnake Yes. If you press Tab, you get a carbonated beverage, and if you press Backspace Backspace Backspace, an on-screen avatar moonwalks.

[Cynical Hippie Posted May 26th 2010 5:25PM]

@AlexCull How about a weekly photo contest on your gadget or technology related stuff?

[blindguymcsqueezy Posted May 26th 2010 5:38PM]

@Cynical Hippie
Will updates be coming to the Engadget apps?

[MasterCKO Posted May 26th 2010 8:13PM]

@tybert7 now, that would be awesome. A weekly column from Lord Vader on the state of tech and how it relates to galactic domination. 8^D

[MasterCKO Posted May 26th 2010 8:15PM]

@MasterCKO no but seriously, I'm all for this Engadget. Good stuff!

[Ecstatic Posted May 27th 2010 7:16AM]

@bigdonny There's a million other sites for gaming news.

I won't be using alt.engadget- sorry. I already have way too many sites to shift through everyday.

[benjybaruch Posted May 26th 2010 2:55PM]

liking the rhyme: "not just the gooey, gadgety core, but the satellites of policy, philosophy, art, meta content, and more"

[tobsmonster2 Posted May 26th 2010 3:11PM]

@benjybaruch
I wana see things about BMX bikes and solid state L.E.D lighting!

[AlienSix Posted May 26th 2010 2:55PM]

I will be on this site all the time

[Realityism Posted May 26th 2010 4:01PM]

@AlienSix

I hope you enjoy pages and pages of Topolsky's reviews of the latest indie disco-pop. I presume that's what this is for.

(@Tops: Kidding. Please don't ban me.)

[fais Posted May 26th 2010 5:34PM]

Is ALT Engadget where I discuss my Lost theories?

[danilka Posted May 26th 2010 5:45PM]

ENSOFTEN !!! @AlienSix

[Shalabi Posted May 26th 2010 6:00PM]

@Realityism No, it will be that terrible NES-jpop shite they always play in the Engadget show intro. Uggg.

[kopmis Posted May 26th 2010 7:48PM]

@Shalabi Alt = Alternative = Hipsters = indie disco-pop

[Son Goku Posted May 26th 2010 2:56PM]

Engadget Alt = Microsoft Kin

[d0mth0ma5 Posted May 26th 2010 3:03PM]

@Son Goku I don't think Engadget Alt has been designed for 14 year old girls...Josh?

[ArhcAngel Posted May 26th 2010 3:12PM]

@Son Goku
I think you're close. I suspect it will cover stuff like the symbiotic relationship between zombies and brains. You know...like the documentary on great whites and zombies Windows 7 is harping.

[Bosco Posted May 26th 2010 3:14PM]

@Son Goku -- Close. It's actually everything not Apple. Oh wait, that's Gizmodo Alt. Sorry Engadget!

[theswiss Posted May 27th 2010 2:00AM]

@Bosco
Sir, you're a tool ...

[benr Posted May 26th 2010 2:56PM]

Cool, cant wait to check it out!

[Lexis Posted May 26th 2010 3:07PM]

@benr
Server down.
Control alt delete.
Fortunately, I own a Mac.

[Lexis Posted May 26th 2010 3:09PM]

@Lexis
Ah, it was just loading terribly slow.
Looking good guys!

[adgeman Posted May 26th 2010 2:57PM]

Engadget = Apple coverage
Alt.Engadget = Non-apple coverage

;)

[Phil P Posted May 26th 2010 2:58PM]

@adgeman The very first post on alt is Apple related :p

[sonicyoof Posted May 26th 2010 3:04PM]

@adgeman

They should just make Engadget Apple.

[bjsguess Posted May 26th 2010 3:06PM]

@adgeman

I don't get it. Isn't having a dedicated Apple section MUCH more in demand than having this Alt site?

Engadget can continue to cover Apple news (or non-news) to their hearts content. Every detail can be shared about what is going on in the world of Apple. Then when there is important stuff cross post it on the main site as well (just like they do for mobile and HD).

Apple fans get their dose of Apple news, the rest of the Engadgets readers gets more balance in coverage.

[adgeman Posted May 26th 2010 3:07PM]

@Phil P Really? How funny :)

[inertone Posted May 26th 2010 3:07PM]

@bjsguess engadget should just redirect itself to apple.com

[Chaosdivine Posted May 26th 2010 3:12PM]

@adgeman

http://www.engadget.com/exclude/apple/

Still works just fine for me...bookmark it or add it to your speed dials, I do.

[zangetsu2 Posted May 26th 2010 3:17PM]

@bjsguess
Apple fanboy site: http://www.engadget.com/tag/apple/
Apple hater site: http://www.engadget.com/exclude/apple/
Everyone else: http://www.engadget.com

How difficult is this?

[d0mth0ma5 Posted May 26th 2010 3:19PM]

@zangetsu2 Apparently incredibly.

[joe23521 Posted May 26th 2010 3:26PM]

@adgeman

Shouldn't it be called Engadget "Option"?

[Kombat Wombat Posted May 26th 2010 3:32PM]

@sonicyoof

It's quite clear why Engadget posts a lot on apple; it brings in hits.

Every year when Engadget publish their top 10 read articles, most of them are apple related. Engadget needs ad impressions, and if more exstensive apple coverage brings it they'll do it.

[reallynotnick Posted May 26th 2010 3:39PM]

@Kombat Wombat
Which of course means that's what the community wants, the haters are just more out spoken.
I personally like to be informed on all of my tech options out there so I enjoy seeing articles about all different kinds of companies and I feel Engadget does it very well. I look forward to seeing what Alt brings.