Lifehacker.com
Encyclopedia
Lifehacker is a weblog about life hacks and software which launched on January 31, 2005. The site is owned by Gawker Media
and covers Microsoft Windows
, Mac
, and Linux
programs as well as time-saving tips and tricks. The staff updates the site about 18 times each weekday, with reduced updates on weekends. The Lifehacker motto is "Tips and downloads for getting things done."
In addition, Lifehacker has two international editions, Lifehacker Australia and Lifehacker Japan, which feature most posts from the U.S. edition along with extra content specific to local readers.
was the sole Lifehacker blog
ger until September 2005, when two associate editors joined her. Adam Pash is the current Editor-in-Chief, joined by managing editor Jason Chen, and writers Adam Dachis, Whitson Gordon, Melanie Pinola, and Alan Henry. Former associate editors include Kevin Purdy, Jason Fitzpatrick, Wendy Boswell, Rick Broida, D. Keith Robinson, Erica Sadun, and Jackson West. Former contributing editors include The How-To Geek, and Tamar Weinberg.
Lifehacker's frequent guest posts have included articles by Matt Haughey, Eszter Hargittai, Jason Thomas, Stewart Rutledge, Joe Anderson, Jeff Jarvis
, Meg Hourihan
, and Erik Benson.
On January 16, 2009, Trapani resigned as Lifehacker's lead editor and Adam Pash assumed the position. Trapani continued to contribute a weekly column to the site after her departure, though the frequency of these articles has since decreased.
. The highly-publicized ad campaign was rumored to have cost $75,000 for three months. Gawker Media
never confirmed this number, and the campaign ended after 2 months. Since then a variety of tech-oriented advertisers have appeared on the site. As a commercial entity, the website is supported entirely by advertising.
Their post about the redesign is here: Hello World! This Is The New Lifehacker
Gawker Media
Gawker Media is an American online media company and blog network, founded and owned by Nick Denton based in New York City. It is considered to be one of the most visible and successful blog-oriented media companies. , it is the parent company for 11 different weblogs: Gawker.com, Fleshbot,...
and covers Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
, and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
programs as well as time-saving tips and tricks. The staff updates the site about 18 times each weekday, with reduced updates on weekends. The Lifehacker motto is "Tips and downloads for getting things done."
In addition, Lifehacker has two international editions, Lifehacker Australia and Lifehacker Japan, which feature most posts from the U.S. edition along with extra content specific to local readers.
Writers
Founding editor Gina TrapaniGina Trapani
Gina Marie Trapani is an American tech blogger, web developer, and writer.Trapani founded the Lifehacker blog in January 2005, and led it until January 2009. She co-hosts a netcast on the TWiT.tv network called with Leo Laporte and Jeff Jarvis. She also hosted twelve episodes of Work Smart, a...
was the sole Lifehacker blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger until September 2005, when two associate editors joined her. Adam Pash is the current Editor-in-Chief, joined by managing editor Jason Chen, and writers Adam Dachis, Whitson Gordon, Melanie Pinola, and Alan Henry. Former associate editors include Kevin Purdy, Jason Fitzpatrick, Wendy Boswell, Rick Broida, D. Keith Robinson, Erica Sadun, and Jackson West. Former contributing editors include The How-To Geek, and Tamar Weinberg.
Lifehacker's frequent guest posts have included articles by Matt Haughey, Eszter Hargittai, Jason Thomas, Stewart Rutledge, Joe Anderson, Jeff Jarvis
Jeff Jarvis
Jeff Jarvis is an American journalist. Previously he was a television critic for TV Guide and People magazine, creator of Entertainment Weekly, Sunday editor and associate publisher of the New York Daily News, and a columnist on the San Francisco Examiner.-Career:Until recently Jarvis was...
, Meg Hourihan
Meg Hourihan
Meg Hourihan is the cofounder of Pyra Labs, the company that launched the Blogger personal blogging software that was acquired by Google. She published weblogs at and...
, and Erik Benson.
On January 16, 2009, Trapani resigned as Lifehacker's lead editor and Adam Pash assumed the position. Trapani continued to contribute a weekly column to the site after her departure, though the frequency of these articles has since decreased.
Advertising
Lifehacker launched in January 2005 with an exclusive sponsorship by SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
. The highly-publicized ad campaign was rumored to have cost $75,000 for three months. Gawker Media
Gawker Media
Gawker Media is an American online media company and blog network, founded and owned by Nick Denton based in New York City. It is considered to be one of the most visible and successful blog-oriented media companies. , it is the parent company for 11 different weblogs: Gawker.com, Fleshbot,...
never confirmed this number, and the campaign ended after 2 months. Since then a variety of tech-oriented advertisers have appeared on the site. As a commercial entity, the website is supported entirely by advertising.
Redesign
On Feb 7, 2011 at 6:59 AM Lifehacker redesigned their site with a cleaner layout. As well as adding new features such as flipping from one story to the next, and scrolling through headlines.Their post about the redesign is here: Hello World! This Is The New Lifehacker
Accolades
- TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
named Lifehacker one of the "50 Coolest Web Sites" in 2005, one of the "25 Sites We Can't Live Without" in 2006 and one of the "25 Best Blogs 2009" - CNETCNETCNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
named Lifehacker in their "Blog 100" in October 2005. - WiredWired (magazine)Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
presented Gina Trapani with a Rave Award in 2006 for Best Blog. - In the 2007 Weblog AwardsBlog awardA Blog award is an award for the best blog in a given category. Some blog awards are based on a public vote and others are based on a fixed set of criteria applied by a panel of judges....
, Lifehacker was awarded Best Group Weblog. - PC MagazinePC MagazinePC Magazine is a computer magazine published by Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009...
named Lifehacker in "Our Favorite 100 Blogs" in October 2007. - US MensaMensa InternationalMensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
named Lifehacker as one of their top 50 sites