Weblogs, Inc.
Jason Calacanis and Brian Alvey launched Weblogs, Inc. in September 2003 with financial support from investor Mark Cuban. The company began as a collection of subdomains under weblogsinc.com, hosting dozens of blogs on tech news, video games, automobiles, and pop culture. Engadget stood apart as a standalone site covering new technology, co-founded by Peter Rojas, who previously edited Gizmodo for Gawker Media. By early 2004, the network had grown to include over 50 sub-blogs and 26 independent brands. Some principals like Mark Cuban maintained personal blogs within the network alongside their business operations.
Weblogs, Inc. sold to AOL for $25 million in October 2005 while AOL prepared to become an independent division within Time Warner. For many years after the sale, Weblogs operated independently from other AOL content websites before rebranding efforts began. Following AOL's spin-off from Time Warner in 2009, emphasis shifted toward AOL branding across all titles. In late 2010, the Weblogs name disappeared entirely when the official website redirected to AOL.com during a major redesign of AOL properties. Around that same time, AOL acquired TechCrunch, which at the time had fewer than twelve remaining blog brands.
Joystiq and TUAW shut down on the 3rd of February 2015, folding into Engadget following Verizon's acquisition of AOL earlier that year. AOL Autos and AOL Tech also closed around the same period, redirecting traffic to Autoblog and Engadget respectively. The Huffington Post Media Group never appeared publicly despite editorial control shifting to HuffPost teams months after AOL bought The Huffington Post for $315 million in February 2011. By mid-2010, AOL consolidated its total count of content websites to just twenty brands, leaving only four former Weblogs titles: Engadget, Autoblog, Joystiq, and TUAW. Download Squad and Switched closed permanently on the 12th of April 2011 under parent company AOL direction.
Engadget remains active today as a webzine updating multiple times daily with articles about gadgets and consumer electronics since launching in March 2004. Autoblog won a 2014 Webby Award for its original video series called The List while producing daily articles and weekly podcasts covering all facets of the auto industry. In September 2024, staff were let go from Autoblog before The Arena Group purchased the website and hired an entirely new group of writers. Greg Migliore served as final Editor-in-Chief while Adam Morath held the role of last General Manager before the transition. Currently, Engadget and Autoblog stand as the only surviving former Weblogs Inc. titles through multiple corporate ownership changes up to 2024.
TV Squad launched on the 10th of March 2005, becoming one of the most popular television blogs online by 2006 with approximately twenty regularly contributing bloggers including Wil Wheaton and Maureen Ryan. Hack a Day founded in September 2004 covered computer hacks and mods but remained separate until sold to SupplyFrame in 2013. Download Squad earned recognition among Computerworld's ten best-written blogs on the Internet in 2008 before closing permanently alongside Switched in April 2011. TUAW revived in mid-2024 publishing AI-generated summaries of old posts often incorrectly attributing wrong authors and including AI-generated images alongside bylines. Web Orange Limited acquired the brand in 2024 without its original content according to their Hong Kong-based advertising services company description.
Common questions
When did Jason Calacanis and Brian Alvey launch Weblogs Inc?
Jason Calacanis and Brian Alvey launched Weblogs Inc in September 2003 with financial support from investor Mark Cuban. The company began as a collection of subdomains under weblogsinc.com hosting dozens of blogs on tech news video games automobiles and pop culture.
What happened to Weblogs Inc after AOL acquired the company?
Weblogs Inc sold to AOL for $25 million in October 2005 while AOL prepared to become an independent division within Time Warner. By late 2010 the Weblogs name disappeared entirely when the official website redirected to AOL.com during a major redesign of AOL properties.
Which former Weblogs titles shut down on the 3rd of February 2015?
Joystiq and TUAW shut down on the 3rd of February 2015 folding into Engadget following Verizon's acquisition of AOL earlier that year. AOL Autos and AOL Tech also closed around the same period redirecting traffic to Autoblog and Engadget respectively.
Who served as final Editor-in-Chief at Autoblog before The Arena Group purchase?
Greg Migliore served as final Editor-in-Chief while Adam Morath held the role of last General Manager before the transition. Staff were let go from Autoblog in September 2024 before The Arena Group purchased the website and hired an entirely new group of writers.
When did TV Squad launch and who contributed to the blog?
TV Squad launched on the 10th of March 2005 becoming one of the most popular television blogs online by 2006 with approximately twenty regularly contributing bloggers including Wil Wheaton and Maureen Ryan.