Meta -- Engadget

Buy this book: Chris Ziegler's 'Palm Pre for Dummies'!

by Joshua Topolsky posted Oct 13th 2009 at 7:03PM

Now look, we're not calling you stupid or anything -- but you don't really know what to do with that phone... do you? Why don't you make things easier on everyone and just pick up this handy tome, written by our in-house Dostoyevsky, Engadget Mobile lead Chris Ziegler. We don't want to ruin anything for you here, but by the time you're done with this sweet piece, you'll be so handy with a Pre, Palm will call you for tech support. Is that overselling it? Nah.

Engadget's logo gets boosted... for a Croatian civic action group!

by Joshua Topolsky posted Oct 10th 2009 at 7:29PM

We don't know exactly what it is about the Engadget logo that people love so much (well, we have some ideas), but our name and likeness does seem to pop up in the most unusual places. This time, it's more unusual than, er... usual. Apparently, our sweet E is being used as the prime designator for a Croatian "civil society organization" called e-misija. We don't pretend to get exactly what it is they do, but anything with a promo video as sublime as the clip after the break sounds cool to us.

Note: Our logo is all over their YouTube page! See it in videos here.

[Thanks, Ahmed]

Continue reading Engadget's logo gets boosted... for a Croatian civic action group!

Unbagging: Joshua Topolsky

by Engadget staff posted Aug 7th 2009 at 4:54PM

Unbagging is a new feature inspired by one of our favorite Flickr groups: what's in your bag? The premise is simple -- empty out your bag, arrange what's inside, and snap a photo. Engadget will be taking a look inside the bags of some of the people we know and love in the tech world, combining our two favorite pastimes of gadgetry and voyeurism. Want to be included? Send an email to unbagging [at] engadget [dot] com with your submissions!

Who better to kick off Unbagging with, right? In the picture above you'll note Josh's Leatherman, dual EV-DO cards, heart pills, vast array of phones (all active, mind you), and totally awesome Ray-Ban Wayfarer IIs. Before you ask: yes, he does carry all this stuff around. Take a look at the full rundown of assets after the break.

Gallery: Unbagging: Joshua Topolsky

Continue reading Unbagging: Joshua Topolsky

Video: Josh talks Apple on G4's Attack of the Show

by Ross Miller posted Aug 3rd 2009 at 9:05PM

In case you missed it, our fearless leader Joshua Topolsky made a guest appearance on tonight's Attack of the Show, waxing intellectual with host Kevin Pereira about Apple's recent handlings with Google Voice, Eric Schmidt, and of course discussion on the dual uni-powered tablet -- you'll see what we mean. Video after the break.

Continue reading Video: Josh talks Apple on G4's Attack of the Show

Peter Rojas and Ryan Block launch gdgt -- the Swiss Army knife of tech sites

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jul 1st 2009 at 2:00PM

When Ryan Block (our former Editor-in-chief) and Peter Rojas (founder of Engadget, Gizmodo, and RCRD LBL) announced last year that they were embarking on a new project together, alarm bells went off across the interblogs. Following nearly 12 months of rampant speculation, the duo's hard work is finally revealed. Combining the best of social networking, forums, news aggregation, and wiki-based sites, gdgt presents a fairly awe-inspiring range of tools for the hardcore gadget lover.

Imagine if Facebook, Wikipedia, your favorite forum, and Google Reader all got mashed into one gigantic, delicious smoothie, and you might begin to get the idea of gdgt. Instead of retreading territory in which they've already blazed a path, Ryan and Peter present a logical step forward for the gadget community -- a place where you can discuss, dissect, and grow your passion with other like minded individuals. It's an ambitious project with lots of really cool stuff to discover, like product comparison tools, the ability to track gadgets you own (or used to own, or want), news from top gadget sites (wink wink), and embeddable widgets.

Look, we've found the best way in life to learn about something is to scuttle the user manual and dive right in -- we highly suggest you do the same and take gdgt out for a spin. We think you'll like what you find.

Congrats Peter and Ryan!

Engadget wins the 2009 EPpy Award for Best Consumer Technology Blog!

by Joshua Topolsky posted May 7th 2009 at 4:00PM

As we noted when we heard about our nomination for this award, it's not about the prizes and plaques for us at Engadget. That said, when news came down the line that we'd won the EPpy Award for "Best Consumer Technology Blog," we did feel a pang of pride. It's always nice to be recognized for doing solid work, especially when that work is something you truly love.

We won't bore you with any sappy acceptance speeches, but we will say that we're psyched to be able to bring tech news to you guys every day. Next up for us? We're gonna keep on keepin' on -- and we've got some pretty cool stuff in the works.

Stay tuned... it's going to be an amazing year!

-Team Engadget

We're nominated for an EPpy Award!

by Joshua Topolsky posted Apr 21st 2009 at 1:14PM

We don't really like to get self-congratulatory at Engadget -- we prefer to let the work speak for itself. Still, we thought it was pretty cool when we heard that we'd been nominated for an EPpy Award in the category of "Best Consumer Technology Blog." We're not alone, either -- the AOL family picked up the most nominations of any one company, with sites likes FanHouse and BloggingStocks getting nods as well. At the end of the day, we don't really care if we win or lose, but it's kind of nice to be recognized for doing what you love and doing it well -- so... thanks!

Engadget endorses Monster Cable? Uh, hell no.

by Joshua Topolsky posted Apr 17th 2009 at 2:30PM

You know, we were as surprised as anyone to see a totally out-of-context quote of ours used on a Monster Cable site (without permission, mind you) to sell the company's "Beats by Dre" headphones (you can see the screen cap after the break). It's ironic, really, given that we currently have a blacklist in place for the overpriced cable-maker because of their rotten business practices (like regularly going after other companies that happen to use the word monster in their name, faking performance tests, and generally bilking customers out of their hard-earned dough). Regardless, if Monster wants to use a quote from Engadget, that's no problem. We suggest this one:

Monster Cable sucks.

Update: Monster has removed the quote from the site. Now that was fast. Power to the people!

[Thanks, Michael K.]

Continue reading Engadget endorses Monster Cable? Uh, hell no.

Greener Gadgets 2009, this Friday in NYC

by Engadget staff posted Feb 23rd 2009 at 1:30PM

If you're like us, you're probably taking an ever-increasing interest in gadgets with an eco slant. If that's the case -- and we think that it is -- you'll want to check into Greener Gadgets, a day dedicated to the quest for sustainable consumer electronics and better solutions for our industry, launched by Jill Fehrenbacher, Editor-in-chief of Inhabitat. This Friday (February 27th, 2009), you can join "innovators, entrepreneurs, visionaries, and eco-designers" in New York City to explore some of those solutions, take a look at green gadgetry, and hear from a handful of speakers on the cutting edge of Earth-friendly electronics. Oh, and there's that killer design competition to round it all up. This year, our own Editor-in-chief, Joshua Topolsky, will be moderating a panel on gadget recycling called "Closing the Loop In Cradle to Cradle," so if you needed some added incentive to attend, you've got it. Today is the last day for registration, so follow the read link and sign yourself up!

Buy this book: Chris Ziegler's 'T-Mobile G1 For Dummies'

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jan 30th 2009 at 7:34PM

Look, we don't normally talk about that wacky old medium -- the printed word -- but this is a special case. Our very own Chris Ziegler, whom many of us refer to around here as "the modern-day Hemingway," has just recently put pen to paper (er, finger to keyboard) and written the definitive tome on all things G1. Namely, T-Mobile G1 For Dummies. If you at all care about the state of our nation, world peace, finding the Ark of the Covenant, creating the perfect salsa, or just figuring out how to set the alarm clock on your phone: this is the book for you. In all seriousness, we're super proud of Chris' efforts here, and we hope -- if you're totally into the G1, like we know you are -- you'll take a peek at these totally boss pages.

Engadget's top posts, 2008

by Joshua Topolsky posted Dec 31st 2008 at 11:59PM

Well, the year has come and gone, and with it, our 365 -- or in this case, 366 -- days of posting. We've seen some pretty amazing stuff, gotten to play with a stack of awesome gear, and watched the site grow by leaps and bounds (we just had our biggest day ever in October). We thought we'd cap the year off with a look back at the posts that got the most heat. One thing that's clear? People really love (or hate) Apple. Check out the top 20 of the year below, and be sure to truck over to Engadget Mobile and Engadget HD for their year-end round-ups!

Top 20 most trafficked posts of 2008 (in order)

Top 20 most trafficked posts during 2008 (in order; non-2008 posts in bold)

Top 15 most trafficked posts of the year, sans Apple-only posts (in order)

A few other interesting numbers for you:

Total posts on Engadget in 2008: 11,878
Total number of comments: 697,672 (and counting)
Average comments per post: 58.7

Combined Engadget classic, HD, and Mobile stats:

Posts: 21,880
Comments: 853,044
Average comments per post: 39.0

When Make and Engadget collide

by Joshua Topolsky posted Dec 26th 2008 at 11:29PM

Thanks Phil! That's one sweet laser.

Peter Rojas and Ryan Block introduce gdgt, gdgt weekly

by Joshua Topolsky posted Sep 4th 2008 at 1:00PM

If you've been wondering what former editor-in-chief (but current editor-at-large) Ryan Block has been up to since he left the site, wonder no more! He and Engadget founder Peter Rojas have just soft-launched their latest foray into the world of gadgets, fittingly (and simply) named... gdgt. Right now they're just getting off the ground, but they've got a new podcast up, and we expect some great content to follow. It should be noted that Peter and Ryan have reached out to various voices in the tech community (yours truly included, along with Gizmodo editor Brian Lam) to advise and input on the new property, which should provide for spirited mashups about all the technology you know (or don't know yet) and love. Hit the read link to check it all out!

Some news from the (new) editor's desk

by Joshua Topolsky posted Aug 22nd 2008 at 5:27PM

As you already may know, today is Ryan Block's last day as editor-in-chief of Engadget, and, consequently, the beginning of my tenure in that same position. If you've ever met Ryan, read his work here on the site (and you'd better have), or seen one of his appearances on television, then you know that he's that rare kind of obsessive technology nerd who also happens to be incredibly erudite and funny. Along with founder Peter Rojas, he made Engadget what it is today, so while there's no question that he'll be missed here, we've got great expectations about his new project, and we're happy to say he'll remain on-board as editor-at-large for columns, advice, and picking up the tab when he's in town.

All of that said, however, I'm incredibly excited about getting started on what tomorrow brings: the next phase of Engadget's evolution. Stepping into the role that Ryan is vacating isn't just about emulating the accomplishments that he and Peter worked for, but building off of those successes and bringing something new to the table, and you can be sure that's what I plan on doing. Still, what's core to Engadget won't change, and we'll continue to be the definitive voice in tech journalism thanks to the tireless work of our team (the best in the industry), and the dedication of the legions of readers that visit this site every day (also the best in the industry). It's a huge honor and challenge to take the reins here, and I know it's going to be an amazing ride.

Some news from the editor's desk

by Ryan Block posted Jul 22nd 2008 at 1:00PM

For most of us here, at some point the sensation of breaking the news takes hold and turns into something else, something much more like an addiction. It really gets into you, keeps you up at night, makes you stay in on weekends. It's in Engadget's DNA, and it's what's kept me glued to the site most waking hours of most days for over four years now.

But fresh challenges can also be addictive, which is why I've decided to step down as editor of this publication in late August so as to start a new company. I'm extremely excited -- but there's also simply no way I can give up working with Engadget that easily, so I'll remain on as editor-at-large, where I'll have a longer-term advisory role to the site (and do some writing from time to time, as well).

I'll be leaving Engadget in the immensely talented hands of Josh Topolsky, whose vision and voice will ensure the site lives up to its legacy as gadget publication nonpareil. Also, Engadget's current Managing Editor Joshua Fruhlinger will soon begin to formally oversee the AOL Tech network, including Switched, TUAW, Download Squad, and the Engadget network. With Josh Topolsky at the helm and Joshua Fruhlinger's stewardship, I have no doubt that Engadget won't just carry on, but will become even better than ever. Read on.

Continue reading Some news from the editor's desk