about
community
legal
goodies
help and faq
General questions
What exactly is gdgt?
It's the best place to to find easy to understand reviews and recommendations on technology products. We cut through all the clutter and make finding new products fun and easy. Simple, right?
How do you say gdgt?
Say it like "gadget."
Does gdgt stand for anything else?
Not really. If we were a little more clever, it could be an acronym for "gadgets, devices, gizmos, and toys."
Who started gdgt?
gdgt was created by Ryan Block and Peter Rojas, and launched in July of 2009.
Where's that product category?
We presently support dozens of product categories and thousands of products -- but we know we have a lot more to add. If you don't see your product's category listed yet, hang on, we're adding new categories all the time.
What kinds of questions can I ask?
Well, any kind of question, as long as it has to do with gadgets and consumer electronics. You might be looking for advice on which phone to buy, need help with your wireless router, or just want to see what other people thought of the latest Steve Jobs keynote -- whatever it is, if you there's something you want to know about personal technology, gdgt is the place to ask it.
Is there a mobile version of the site? What about an iPhone or Android app?
We're working on it, promise. Check back soon!
My database submission was rejected. What gives?
There could be a number of reasons why we weren't able to accept your submission, and we'll try to explain when it's not accepted. Usually it's because the product was already in the system as an instance of another product. Either way, don't give up, and we'll continue do our best to help you get products into the site if they aren't already!
Something is wrong with gdgt!
Hit us up for support or get in contact directly if it's related to your account!
gdgt recommendations & score
Finding gadgets sucks. It's kind of funny when you think about it -- even though these products are capable of making our lives easier and saving us all kinds of time, figuring out which one to buy is often really difficult and extremely time-consuming. That's where we come in.
The gdgt score is our unique ranking of products based on a combination of review data and extensive independent analysis by our highly experienced team of researchers and editors. The absolute best of the best products are selected by our editors to be gdgt recommended.
Finally, finding products can be fun and frictionless.
How is the gdgt score formulated?
Our team of expert researchers and editors -- who come from some of the most respected technology publications in the world, like Engadget, Consumer Reports, and Gizmodo -- research and analyze everything we can find about a product we're reviewing. When it's all done, we study the results and yell at each other for a few hours until we can agree on a gdgt score. It's a lot of trouble to go to, but it's worth it to ensure the gdgt score isn't just the easiest way to know at a glance whether a product is any good, but that it's the only rating you'll ever need.
What factors do you look at when deciding a gdgt score or recommendation?
Our product research team digs up as much data as we can about a product when scoring it, from how critics and users have reviewed it, to its specs, to what people have been saying about it in gdgt discussions and other forums on the internet. This data is fed into a proprietary algorithm that helps guide us towards a final score, which is then approved by our top editors. We leave nothing to chance.
Are user reviews a factor in scores and recommendations?
Absolutely! gdgt users are some of the smartest consumers in the world, and gdgt user reviews are a big influence on our final scores and whether or not we recommend a product.
Why aren't there scores for some products?
We have tens of thousands of products in our database, and have been adding scores as these products are released, as well as back a little ways for many of the products on the market today. Our goal is to score as many products as possible, though we'll have to draw the line at some older, discontinued products.
How do you choose the publications that appear under a product's critic reviews?
We've evaluated and hand-picked over a hundred of the top publications in technology media, ranging from major electronics news sites like Engadget, CNET, and AllThingsD, to mainstream sites like The New York Times, to niche sites that cover just one type of product, like Digital Photography Review.
Because critic reviews are a major factor in how we formulate gdgt scores and recommendations, we pay as close attention to our own ranking and evaluation of publications as we do to the ranking and evaluation of products themselves.
How do you come up with numerical ratings for sites that don't include them?
Why do you think we've hung on to our ten-sided Dungeons & Dragons dice all these years? Seriously though, in addition to reading a lot of reviews, our editors are also responsible for some of the definitive electronics reviews from the last decade. This helps make us pretty good at being able to interpret the assessments made by other critics in the space. Of course, if you disagree with an assessment we've made, please do let us know!
Will you include my site's reviews?
Sure, we'll take a look! Send us a link to your site and tell us a little about what you're up to.
How do you decide which products are gdgt recommended?
The process of determining recommendations works similarly to the gdgt score: we lock ourselves in a room and argue about which product is best until we can reach a decision. We recommend very few products -- less than half of a single percent (i.e. < 0.1%) of the tens of thousands of products found on gdgt -- so when we do recommend something, it's because we consider it to be the absolute best.
Don't be surprised if some product categories on gdgt don't have any recommended products, or there's only one we recommend. We're very, very picky, we hold the products we put our stamp on to a very high degree.
Is a recommendation based on a product's score?
Not necessarily. The gdgt score plays a big role in a product's recommendation -- and you won't see us recommending many poorly low-scoring products -- but they're not dependent. Some kinds of products may garner really high scores in the professional and prosumer area, but aren't necessarily suited for recommendation to the general public.
For example, a really nice RED camera may be among the very best devices in the world, but we can't realistically recommend something that costs $10,000. (And if that IS the kind of camera you're looking for, chances are you don't really need us to recommend it to you!)
When can I expect to see a gdgt score or recommendation on a new product?
We try to post gdgt scores shortly after a product is released, although we won't do so until the results are in, the numbers have been tallied, and we've done all our homework. So don't freak out if you don't see a gdgt score or recommendation live on the day of a product's release, we want to make sure we get as much information in as possible before we arrive at a conclusion.
Will you please score and/or recommend this product?
If you come across a product that you feel really needs to be scored -- or even be gdgt recommended -- please let us know!
Will a product's score or recommendation change over time?
Not usually. However, if a new product turns out to have a major defect that isn't apparent until it's been on the market for a little while, or if a software upgrade dramatically changes a product's capabilities, we may revisit its score or recommendation status.
I really disagree with a score or recommendation.
Post a review! Reviews are a really important part of how we establish a gdgt score and recommendation, and even after we've made a determination, we count on our users to tell us what they think. If enough users point out issues that could affect how we've reviewed a product, you can be sure we'll notice.
How do I...
How do I sign up?
You can register right here. It shouldn't take more than a minute or two.
How do the lists work? Do I need to make one to use the site?
Your gdgt list is where you can organize all the gadgets you have, want, used to have, or just want to keep an eye on ("watch"). Besides being a lot of fun to make, the lists help us deliver the most relevant questions, answers, reviews, and discussions to you.
So if you have the iPad on your Have list, we'll send iPad questions your way since you might be able to answer them. And if you want an Xbox 360, we'll make sure you're seeing the latest reviews. You don't need to add any gadgets to your gdgt list to use the site, but you will definitely get a lot more out of the site if you do -- plus you'll have a sweet profile page filled with all your gadgets that you can share with people!
How do I remove a product from my have/want/had/watch list?
Go to your profile page and click the "edit gdgt list" link, then hover over any product to see the "delete from list" option.
You can also go to that product's page and click the green have/want/had button to reveal a red "delete from list" option.
How do I sign up for the newsletter?
You can sign up for that right here, or from the notifications tab in settings.
Okay, now how do I unsubscribe?
There's an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email we send out. If for some reason that isn't working please contact us and we'll sort it out.
How can I add a product to the database?
Why, just use our add to database tool! Only registered users can add a product to the database, but if it's accepted you'll get a sweet RP bonus for your trouble.
How do I add a picture, URL, or bio to my profile?
You can edit your profile settings here.
How do I add someone as a friend?
You can start following someone by clicking the "follow" button on their profile page, or in the hovercard that appears when you mouse-over their photo around the site.
Our friend finder tool will be back online soon!
Where can I go to see my friends' activity on gdgt?
You can see what your friends on gdgt are doing in real-time right from "your stream" tab on the home page, and you can even customize what kind of entries you see.
How do I deactivate my account?
Just head on over to your account settings, click the account tab, and then hit the red deactivate button. Are you sure we can't convince you to stick around, though?
Won't someone just look at my profile to case me for a robbery?
If someone is really looking to commit a crime and already knows where you live, you've probably got a much bigger issue at hand than what's on your gadget list. It's up to each of us to be diligent in protecting our online and offline privacy.
That said, we take privacy concerns very seriously and allow you the option adjust what personal information you share on gdgt. If you are concerned about publicly displaying your your gadget list or location, simply edit your profile settings here.