Ryan Block

Ryan Block

Ryan Block at GDC 2009
Occupation Technology journalist
Known for Engadget, gdgt

Ryan Block is a technology journalist and critic. He was the editor-in-chief of AOL’s Engadget[1] before he co-founded the popular community site gdgt.[2]

Originally from southern California, he moved to Jersey City, New Jersey in 2001,[3] but only lived there for two or three months while he was looking for a place to live in New York. He then lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn for several years.[4]

Block joined technology news website Engadget as a part-time reporter in June 2004, and started full time in June 2005.[3] He went on to replace the site's creator Peter Rojas as editor-in-chief in 2007.[5] On May 16, 2007, Block posted a leaked internal email from Apple in which it was revealed that the iPhone and Mac OS X Leopard would both be delayed. The email was later confirmed as fake by Apple PR, but it was reported that its posting by Engadget took $4 billion off Apple's market cap.[6][7] Block has since noted that the approximate $4b market cap drop was almost immediately pushed back up after he posted that the email was forged.[8]

In July 2008 Block posted on Engadget that he would be stepping down as editor-in-chief to create a new company, leaving then Associate Editor Joshua Topolsky in charge.[9] On 1 July 2009,[10] using $550,000 in initial seed financing received from Betaworks and True Ventures, Block and Rojas launched gdgt; a discussion forum that generates reviews and answers questions about thousands of gadgets.[11]

Block is a regular panelist on The Engadget Show,[12] and has appeared on Leo Laporte's This Week in Tech 21 times.[13] Block lives in San Francisco, California with his girlfriend, Veronica Belmont.[14]

References

  1. ^ Boutin, Paul (2010-04-03). "Gadget guru: We can’t know yet what’s best about iPad". VentureBeat. http://venturebeat.com/2010/04/03/gadget-guru-we-cant-know-yet-whats-best-about-ipad/. Retrieved 2010-05-06. 
  2. ^ Mumm, Chad (2010-04-24). "The Engadget Show Live! With roboticist Dr. Dennis Hong, Ryan Block, Rick Karr, and more!". Engadget. http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/24/the-engadget-show-live-with-roboticist-dr-dennis-hong-ryan-bl/. Retrieved 2010-05-06. 
  3. ^ a b Collardeau, Thomas (2008-01-08). "Interview with Engadget’s Ryan Block". ontheinside.info. http://blog.ontheinside.info/2008/01/08/interview-with-engadgets-ryan-block/. Retrieved 2010-03-27. 
  4. ^ Talk:Ryan Block (356925092), April 19, 2010
  5. ^ Rosmarin, Rachel (2007-12-18). "The Gadget Guru". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2007/12/18/ryan-block-engadget-tech-cx_rr_07webceleb_1218block.html. Retrieved 2010-03-27. 
  6. ^ Ewalt, David (2007-12-18). "In Pictures: The Web Celeb 25". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2007/12/18/web-celeb-fame-tech-cx_de_07webceleb_1218top_slide_21.html. Retrieved 2010-03-27. 
  7. ^ Block, Ryan (2007-05-17). "Regarding yesterday's Apple news". Engadget. http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/17/regarding-yesterdays-apple-news/. Retrieved 2010-03-27. 
  8. ^ Talk:Ryan Block (356924945), April 19, 2010
  9. ^ Block, Ryan (2008-07-22). "Some news from the editor's desk". Engadget. http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/22/some-news-from-the-editors-desk/. Retrieved 2010-03-27. 
  10. ^ Arrington, Michael (2009-07-01). "GDGT Launches For Non Stop Gadget Action". Techcrunch. http://techcrunch.com/2009/07/01/gdgt-launches-for-non-stop-gadget-action/. Retrieved 2010-03-27. 
  11. ^ Vascellaro, Jessica (2010-04-07). "Gdgt Raises New Financing with New Concept". The Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/04/07/gdgt-raises-new-financing-with-new-concept/. Retrieved 2010-05-06. 
  12. ^ Topolsky, Joshua (2010-04-23). "The Engadget Show returns this Saturday, April 24th with roboticist Dr. Dennis Hong, Ryan Block, and much more!". Engadget. http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/23/the-engadget-show-returns-this-saturday-april-24th-with-robotic/. Retrieved 2010-05-06. 
  13. ^ List of This WEEK in TECH panelists (this version)
  14. ^ Veronica Belmont fun facts from Mahalo

External links