SpearTalks: Gizmodo's Brian Lam

Whether you're willing to call yourself a nerd or not, you've likely perused the pages of Gizmodo, one of the internet's favorite gadget guides. Reporting techie playthings at the rate of around 60 posts per day, Gizmodo employees chase dorky developments with all the frenzy of paparazzi, sharing their wired finds with hoards of daily visitors.

Currently translated into nine different languages, readers of Gizmodo don't have to speak binary to learn about the newest toys. With a staff of writers gifted at making dock connectors sound sexy – and Apple products practically pornographic – the pages of Gizmodo are loved by software developers and day traders alike, and serve to keep those in search of wit, wisdom, and the next best conversation starter happily satiated.

Heading up the Gizmodo revolution is Brian Lam, a Wired expat, known for his trade show disguise tactics and nerdy know-how. Read on as we learn why the internet is the new magazine, the blog is the new suburbia, and why Engadget can, uh, just call itself Pepsi.

Joshspear.com: What enticed you to leave Wired for your current position at Gizmodo?

Brian Lam: I got a lot of my content from blogs. That didn’t feel great.

JS: You've been the editor of Gizmodo for almost two years now. How has the site progressed in that time?

BL: I’d say there’s a lot more teamwork going on, and that’s helped us pass a lot of operations that work as a set of lone wolves. We’re faster and no one does more original reporting than we do on the blogs.

JS: Do you miss anything about working for a print magazine?

BL: The leisurely pace and amazing healthcare. And the office.

JS: It's funny, but it almost seems like the ferocity of content in gadget blogs is best compared to that of celebrity gossip sites. Does that seem like a fair comparison?

BL: Yes, especially Gizmodo, because we don’t write only about gadgets but for people who like gadgets. That opens up our content to nontraditional pieces that a trade mag wouldn’t touch.

JS: Gizmodo churns out about 60 posts a day. How do your writers learn of/stay on top of so many new products?

BL: We get much of that help from other blogs. It’s a community. And most of the people we work with in companies are helpful. Many of those people I worked with over the years at Wired.

JS: One thing that really sets Gizmodo apart from other gadget blogs is its readability "“ even if you're not too techy, it's a fun read. Is this intentional?

BL: Yes. Gizmodo isn’t for the stereotypical nerd. It’s for the emerging technically savvy mainstream. People who know tech, and don’t get sand kicked in their faces at the beach. Normal, smart, fun people.

JS: The stories regarding how far you and your writers will go to get a scoop are legendary "“ any new tales of desperation/courage?

BL: No new tales. We did don construction worker costumes with Bill G and Steve J nametags at a certain recent trade show, to get in early. But that was a few months ago.

JS: The most recent quote I could find from you regarding the ongoing Gizmodo/Engadget war was this: “We might respect each other’s skills, but in the end we have a job to do, and one of us is going to kill the other.” What's the latest from the battlefront?

BL: Oh — two weeks ago we scooped them hard on every major story! Bad news is, they come back just as hard. I love the skills those guys bring to the game. It’s pretty incredible, and nothing short of full commitment makes it possible to compete with them.

JS: Do you really think one of you will eventually go down – or is it starting to seem like more of a Pepsi vs. Coke battle?

BL: It’s more like a Cola battle, but we get to be Coke.

JS: A eulogy for Engadget would read like…

BL: No comment! Funny question, but I think the tech world needs both sites, ying and yang. I’d hate to think of the internet without both.

JS: The Mac Book Air is making my Pro look like a fatty. Why shouldn't I cheat? (Or should I?)

BL: You’re a pro writer. You can expense your computers! Just be aware of the pro’s advantages.

JS: Your Top 5 Can't-Wait-Fors of 2008…

BL: Oh shoot. First: Google Android phones; Second: Dash Express GPS, with a built in cellular chip so it can download traffic and live maps; Third: Livescribe Pen. Annotates to paper you can import to your computer. Click on text and it plays back the audio the pen recorded as you wrote that word. Best note taking device later; Fourth: Super Smash Brothers; Fifth: Vacation.