Joshua Topolsky

As you may already know, our friend and editor in chief, Ryan Block, is making his way out into the wide world to start on a new project with Engadget’s founder Peter Rojas. It goes without saying that everyone on the team wishes him the absolute best on his new endeavors, and would agree that his presence in our day-to-day rush will be missed.

You may also know that I’ll be taking the reins as editor in chief of the site, which is hugely exciting to me — in fact, it would be impossible to overstate my enthusiasm about this next phase of Engadget.

I would like to say this, however: Peter and Ryan have left an undeniable and resonant mark on the face of not just blogging or tech coverage, but on the entire field of journalism. They have beat a unique and important path, and I’m humbled and honored to be asked to continue the legacy they’ve stamped out.

Yes, the shoes at Engadget are big ones to fill, but I have nothing but faith — not only in Ryan’s choice, but in the support and talent of the team we have assembled right now. I couldn’t imagine a more polished, committed, and discerning group to lead into the next chapter of Engadget’s story. I look forward to not just carrying on what Peter and Ryan have so carefully built, but to growing and cementing Engadget’s rightful place at the forefront of technology journalism.

At the end of the day, I can tell you this: I feel equal parts awe and pride at the success and respect that Engadget has garnered, and I can’t wait to keep on down that road.

I think we all need to take a step back and seriously review our habit and capacity for excusing ourselves. We do it in our personal lives, we do it with public figures, and eventually we’re all going to be royally screwed if we don’t get it in check.

Case in point: the health of Steve Jobs and its supposed effect on the health of Apple.

It appears that some people are so aghast at the thought of Apple — the company — screwing something up, that they’re all too happy to just explain it away as an unfortunate side effect of its CEO’s supposedly-precarious physical condition.

Look, I’m not saying that the man isn’t crucial to the operation and success of the company, but to blame problems with firmware 2.0, MobileMe, iPhone 3G supply, and the hard northern winds that have been battering Alabama on Jobs alone might be going a bit too far.

To me, it seems to represent the fanboy’s last resort in explaining away what is simply obvious and true: Apple isn’t perfect. Not its products, its employees, or its ability to pull off a three-way, one day launch. Look, they fucked up, okay? It’s not Steve’s battle with cancer that causes my MobileMe mail account to become randomly inaccessible, and his strange diet isn’t making my iPhone’s keyboard lag and stutter when I’m sending a text message.

Am I to believe that a weak, sickly Steve Jobs just can’t muster up the strength to bellow orders at his minions, or is it actually more likely that his minions are being hit by a demand for their product that they’ve been hitherto unfamiliar with? Let’s be honest: not a single American waited a whole day in line for a Macintosh LC.

So let’s stop with the excuses — and the excusing — before it’s too late. I don’t want to have to explain away every shitty product to my beautiful future children by telling them the president of the company had too bad of a cold to crack the whip.

I know we’re all busy, but are we too busy to notice that the volume on the Flash video player the BBC uses actually goes to 11? Since I’m almost positive there’s no reasonable explanation for this, I can only assume it’s an homage to Spinal Tap — which is totally bodacious. Seriously, check it out.

Electronic Battle Weapon 8 and 9, English Breakfast tea (again!), this Polish movie theater.