Ryan Block
{{Short description|American journalist}}
{{for|the commercial building in St. Joseph, Missouri|Ryan Block (St. Joseph, Missouri)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ryan Block
| image = Ryan Block at Dinner.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Ryan Block
Entrepreneur
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|06|25}}
| birth_place =
| nationality =
| spouse = Veronica Belmont
| known_for = Engadget, gdgt
| occupation = Technology entrepreneur, product manager
}}
Ryan Block (born June 25, 1982) is a San Francisco-based technology entrepreneur. He was the editor-in-chief of AOL’s Engadget{{cite news | first=Paul | last=Boutin | title=Gadget guru: We can't know yet what's best about iPad | date=2010-04-03 | url =https://venturebeat.com/2010/04/03/gadget-guru-we-cant-know-yet-whats-best-about-ipad/ | work =VentureBeat | accessdate = 2010-05-06 }} before he co-founded the community site gdgt.{{cite news | first=Chad | last=Mumm | title=The Engadget Show Live! With roboticist Dr. Dennis Hong, Ryan Block, Rick Karr, and more! | date=2010-04-24 | url =https://www.engadget.com/2010/04/24/the-engadget-show-live-with-roboticist-dr-dennis-hong-ryan-bl/ | work =Engadget | accessdate = 2010-05-06 }} With gdgt's sale to AOL in 2013, he returned to the company and headed up its product group, but left in 2015 to start a new business.{{cite news | first=Matthew | last=Panzarino | title=Ryan Block Leaves AOL Alpha For Something New | date=2010-09-08 | url =https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/08/ryan-block-leaves-aol-alpha-for-something-new/ | work =VentureBeat | accessdate = 2010-10-12 }}
Block co-hosted [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mvp/id918020905 MVP], a technology podcast, with frequent collaborator Peter Rojas. There have been no new episodes since October 2, 2016.
He lives in San Francisco, California with his wife, Veronica Belmont.[http://www.mahalo.com/veronica-belmont Veronica Belmont fun facts from Mahalo]
History
Block joined technology news website Engadget as a part-time reporter in June 2004, and started full-time in June 2005.{{cite web|url=http://blog.ontheinside.info/2008/01/08/interview-with-engadgets-ryan-block/ |title=Interview with Engadget's Ryan Block |accessdate=2010-03-27 |last=Collardeau |first=Thomas |date=2008-01-08 |work=ontheinside.info }} He went on to replace the site's creator Peter Rojas as editor-in-chief in 2007.{{cite news | first=Rachel | last=Rosmarin | title=The Gadget Guru | date=2007-12-18 | url =https://www.forbes.com/2007/12/18/ryan-block-engadget-tech-cx_rr_07webceleb_1218block.html | work =Forbes | accessdate = 2010-03-27 }}
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.{{cite news | first=Ryan | last=Block | title=Some news from the editor's desk | date=2008-07-22 | url =https://www.engadget.com/2008/07/22/some-news-from-the-editors-desk/ | work =Engadget | accessdate = 2010-03-27 }} On 1 July 2009,{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Arrington | title=GDGT Launches For Non Stop Gadget Action | date=2009-07-01 | url =https://techcrunch.com/2009/07/01/gdgt-launches-for-non-stop-gadget-action/ | work =Techcrunch | accessdate = 2010-03-27 }} 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.{{cite news | first=Jessica | last=Vascellaro | title=Gdgt Raises New Financing with New Concept | date=2010-04-07 | url =https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/04/07/gdgt-raises-new-financing-with-new-concept/ | work =The Wall Street Journal | accessdate = 2010-05-06 }} gdgt was sold to AOL in 2013{{cite web|last=Block|first=Ryan|title=Engadget is getting a whole lot bigger: profiles, forums, product database, and so much more!|url=https://www.engadget.com/2013/11/18/engadget-is-getting-a-whole-lot-bigger-profiles-forums-produc/|accessdate=10 December 2013}}
, and Block left the company in 2015.
Comcast support call
{{See also|Criticism_of_Comcast#2014_customer_service_scandals}}
In July 2014, Block and his wife attempted to disconnect their Comcast service over the telephone and were repeatedly blocked by the Comcast representative in a call which lasted 18 minutes. The last 8 minutes of this phone call was recorded by Block and posted to Reddit, immediately going viral across the internet. The next day Comcast apologized.{{cite magazine | url=https://time.com/2985964/comcast-cancel-ryan-block/ | title=Recording of Man's Attempt to Cancel Comcast Will Drive You Insane | magazine=Time | date=15 July 2014 | access-date=16 July 2014 | author=Stampler, Laura}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Ryan Block}}
- [http://ryanblock.com/ Ryan Block's website]
- [https://www.engadget.com/ Engadget]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Block, Ryan}}
Category:American Internet celebrities
Category:Writers from San Francisco
Category:American technology writers