Evan Blass Explained

Evan Blass
Occupation:Blogger, Editor, Phone leaker
Known For:@evleaks

Evan Blass,[1] [2] once known solely by his pen name @evleaks,[3] [4] [5] is an American blogger, editor, and phone leaker. He gained international notoriety for a series of numerous smartphone and tablet leaks on Twitter,[6] spanning the period July 2012 through August 2014, that made him a trusted source for many technology journalists. Blass announced his retirement from leaking devices in a tweet on August 3, 2014,[7] although he soon returned to leaking under his pen name.

Career

From 2005–2008, Blass held several positions at AOL-owned technology site Engadget, including senior editor,[8] before departing to write briefly for the now defunct technology publication Obsessable.[9] From 2010–2012, Blass was managing editor of mobile technology site Pocketnow.

Blass was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004, and in November 2013 was the subject of a report on The Verge documenting a controversial Walgreens policy pertaining to the dispensation of narcotic painkillers.[10]

On November 23, 2015, Blass started writing for VentureBeat.[11]

@evleaks Twitter account

The account was started in July 2012,[12] or August 2012.[13]

For nearly a year, Blass maintained the @evleaks account anonymously[14]  —while some of his colleagues knew of his identity, he purposely kept it hidden from the public at large. In June 2013, Blass fully revealed himself in an interview with Android Police,[15] citing the inevitability of being unmasked as the reason for his decision.

As @evleaks, Blass was responsible for posting images and information pertaining to unannounced smartphones, tablets, accessories,[16] applications,[17] laptops,[18] and a webOS-powered TV,[19] collectively leaked from nearly every mobile device maker and US wireless carrier, often weeks or even months before their launches. He was particularly adept at obtaining information and pictures about Taiwanese manufacturer HTC Corporation and one-time Finnish handset maker Nokia, reporting on numerous devices those two companies planned during his two-year stint of activity. Additionally, he leaked materials about the Moto X (1st generation),[20] Moto E (1st generation),[21] Droid Ultra,[22] Droid Maxx,[23] and Droid Mini[24] from Motorola; the Nexus 4,[25] Nexus 5,[26] G2,[27] and G3[28] from LG; the Xperia Z,[29] Z1S,[30] Z2 tablet,[31] and Z3 from Sony;[32] and the first two Padfones[33] [34] and Padfone mini[35] from Asus.

From May 2014 until his retirement, Blass attempted to monetize his leaks by publishing them on his own website, evleaks.at, deriving revenue through advertising sales.[36] [37] [38] Immediately following his retirement announcement, however, Blass conducted an interview with The Next Web[39] in which he recounted the problems he faced in trying to monetize a stream of Twitter leaks. Dozens of publications covered Blass's retirement,[40] most notably the weekly BBC technology show Click[41] and an accompanying BBC Online feature.[42]

Following his self-professed retirement, Blass has continued to leak phones, including the Moto X (2014)[43] (at the time assumed to be called the "Moto X+1"), Nexus 6,[44] and Droid Turbo,[45] all from Motorola.[46] He later also leaked the LG G Pad X, Microsoft Lumia 735[47] and Samsung Galaxy S6 Active.[48]

Wired magazine included Blass in its 2013 "101 Signals" list of "the best reporters, writers, and thinkers on the Internet."[49] The Times of India profiled Blass (as @evleaks) in its May 11, 2013 edition.[50]

In early 2016, Blass continued to leak accurate details of then-unreleased flagship smartphones Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, LG G5, HTC 10 and Huawei P9 through tweets and VentureBeat articles. He continued to leak throughout the rest of the year, 2017 and 2018.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bush . Ian . Source: Here's A Look At The New iPhone 8 . 28 April 2018 . en . 9 August 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171016231634/http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/08/09/new-iphone-8/ . 16 October 2017 .
  2. Web site: Ruddock . David . Evleaks Revealed: Android Police's Exclusive Interview With Evan Blass, The Man Behind @evleaks . Android Police . 28 April 2018 . 28 June 2013 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170929200826/http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/06/28/evleaks-revealed-android-polices-exclusive-interview-with-evan-blass-the-man-behind-evleaks/ . 29 September 2017 .
  3. Web site: Palazuelos . Félix . La historia de Evleaks . Hipertextual . 28 April 2018 . es-ES . 24 August 2014 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150719044318/http://hipertextual.com/2014/08/evleaks . 19 July 2015 .
  4. Web site: Tecnología . BBC Mundo . El rey de las filtraciones tecnológicas revela sus secretos . BBC Mundo . 28 April 2018 . es . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170717165607/http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2014/08/140825_tecnologia_perfil_rey_filtraciones_evan_blass_ig . 17 July 2017 .
  5. Web site: Evan Blass: King of the leakers . BBC News . 28 April 2018 . 23 August 2014 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170228124051/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28882046 . 28 February 2017 .
  6. Web site: Qui est Evan Blass, ce leaker vedette adulé par les fans de high-tech et détesté par les grandes marques ? . TechGuru . 28 April 2018 . fr-FR . 9 August 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180428203126/https://techguru.fr/2016/08/09/evan-blass-portrait/ . 28 April 2018 .
  7. News: Popular device leaker @evleaks calls it quits (to find a more stable job) . Pelegrin . Williams . 2014-08-04 . Digital Trends . 2014-11-18 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129032239/http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/two-years-evan-evleaks-blass-calls-quits/ . 2014-11-29 .
  8. News: Well known tipster Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) announced he's retiring . 2014-08-04 . India TV . 2014-11-18 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140808013456/http://www.indiatvnews.com/business/india/latest-news-well-known-tipster-evan-blass-aka-evleaks-13656.html . 2014-08-08 .
  9. News: Gadget Blog War Heats Up; Obsessable.com Taking On Engadget, CrunchGear, and Gizmodo . Chowdhry . Amit . 2008-09-24 . Pulse 2.0 . 2014-11-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141220064008/http://pulse2.com/2008/09/24/gadget-blog-war-heats-up-obsessablecom-taking-on-engadget-crunchgear-and-gizmodo/ . 2014-12-20 .
  10. Web site: A renewed war on powerful pain meds threatens to hurt patients . The Verge . 2013-11-22 . 2014-08-10 . Toor . Amar . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140807074855/http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/22/5133204/walgreens-pain-medication-crackdown-affects-patients-who-need-them . 2014-08-07 .
  11. Web site: Brandão . Mário Rui André, João Ribeiro, Rita Pinto, Marco . @evleaks, o "estraga-surpresas" da tecnologia . Shifter . 28 April 2018 . pt-PT . 28 March 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180128132238/https://shifter.pt/2017/03/evleaks/ . 28 January 2018 .
  12. Web site: Singh . Jagmeet . The daring life of world's renowned tech leaker Evan Blass . International Business Times, Singapore Edition . 28 April 2018 . en . 18 September 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171024221210/http://www.ibtimes.sg/daring-life-worlds-renowned-tech-leaker-evan-blass-16601 . 24 October 2017 .
  13. Web site: Meet Evan Blass, the king of smartphone leaks . Killer Features . 28 April 2018 . 7 October 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171016111930/https://www.killerfeatures.com/evleaks-interview . 16 October 2017 .
  14. Web site: Patkar . Mir . From the shadows . Times of India . 28 April 2018 . en . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151011182330/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Layout/Includes/CREST/ArtWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=CREST&BaseHref=TCRM%2F2013%2F05%2F11&ViewMode=gif&PageLabel=14&EntityId=Ar01300&AppName=1-accessdate%3D24 . 11 October 2015 .
  15. Web site: Evleaks Revealed: Android Police's Exclusive Interview With Evan Blass, The Man Behind @evleaks . Android Police . 2014-08-10 . Ruddock, David . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140815021838/http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/06/28/evleaks-revealed-android-polices-exclusive-interview-with-evan-blass-the-man-behind-evleaks/ . 2014-08-15 .
  16. Web site: Whitney . Lance . Razer iPhone game controller leaked online . CNET . 2014-03-13 . 2014-08-10 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812204158/http://www.cnet.com/news/razer-iphone-game-controller-leaked-online/ . 2014-08-12 .
  17. Web site: Is Apple About to Let You Replace your On-Screen Keyboard in iOS? . n3rdabl3 . 2014-02-20 . 2014-08-10 . Richardson, Aaron . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812223730/http://www.n3rdabl3.co.uk/2014/02/apple-let-replace-screen-keyboard-ios/ . 2014-08-12 .
  18. Web site: Evleaks Posts Image of the Samsung Chromebook 2 . AndroidSPIN . 2014-03-02 . 2014-08-10 . Pena, David . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812213255/http://androidspin.com/2014/03/02/evleaks-posts-image-samsung-chromebook-2/ . 2014-08-12 .
  19. Web site: Photo of LG WebOS TV Leaks Ahead of CES . PCMag . 2014-01-02 . 2014-08-10 . Mlot . Stephanie . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205337/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2428918,00.asp . 2014-08-12 .
  20. Web site: Motorola Moto X: First Press Shots . TheUnlockr . 2013-07-20 . 2014-08-10 . @evleaks . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812230228/http://theunlockr.com/2013/07/20/motorola-moto-x-first-press-shots/ . 2014-08-12 .
  21. Web site: White Moto E Leaks Ahead of Tomorrow's Announcement . TechnoBuffalo . 2014-05-12 . 2014-08-10 . Kleinman, Jacob . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140717192444/http://www.technobuffalo.com/2014/05/12/white-moto-e-leaks/ . 2014-07-17 .
  22. Web site: Evleaks Reveals The DROID Ultra In Full Press Shot Glory, And Yes, There Is A Lot Of Carbon Fiber (And A New Kind Of Camera?) . Android Police . 2014-08-10 . Ruddock, David . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812203020/http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/07/08/evleaks-reveals-the-droid-ultra-in-full-press-shot-glory-and-yes-there-is-a-lot-of-carbon-fiber-and-a-new-kind-of-camera/ . 2014-08-12 .
  23. Web site: Motorola Droid Maxx for Verizon pictured in leaked image . The Verge . 2013-07-06 . 2014-08-10 . Seifert . Dan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205442/http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/6/4498300/motorola-droid-maxx-for-verizon-pictured-in-leaked-image . 2014-08-12 .
  24. Web site: Droid mini photo reveals Motorola’s new smartphones . BGR . 2013-07-10 . 2014-08-10 . Graziano, Dan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812223709/http://bgr.com/2013/07/10/droid-mini-photo-leak/ . 2014-08-12 .
  25. Web site: LG Nexus 4 press photo (ev)leaks, showing Nexus branding and Google Now with Google Maps card [Update] |publisher=Android Authority |date=2012-10-24 |accessdate=2014-08-10 |author=Smith, Chris |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812212957/http://www.androidauthority.com/lg-nexus-4-press-photo-evleaks-showing-nexus-branding-google-now-google-maps-card-125536/ |archive-date=2014-08-12 ].
  26. Web site: Google's white Nexus 5 appears in leaked images . The Verge . 2013-10-27 . 2014-08-10 . Kastrenakes . Jacob . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140802060927/http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/27/5034992/google-nexus-5-smartphone-white-color-leak . 2014-08-02 .
  27. Web site: Is this mystery LG device the Nexus 5 or Optimus G2? . TechRadar . 2014-08-10 . Smith, Chris . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205449/http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/is-this-mystery-lg-device-the-nexus-5-or-optimus-g2--1149365 . 2014-08-12 .
  28. Web site: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile LG G3 versions leaked . Pocketnow . 2014-07-05 . 2014-08-10 . Nagy, Anton . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812210318/http://pocketnow.com/2014/07/05/lg-g3-versions-leaked . 2014-08-12 .
  29. Web site: Sony Xperia Z: first press shot for the full HD flagship . Unwired View . 2013-01-01 . 2014-08-10 . @evleaks . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812213829/http://www.unwiredview.com/2013/01/01/sony-xperia-z-first-press-shot-for-the-full-hd-flagship/ . 2014-08-12 .
  30. Web site: Sony Xperia Z1S press image leaks . GSMArena . 2014-08-10 . Staff . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205425/http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z1s_press_image_leaks-news-7012.php . 2014-08-12 .
  31. Web site: Sony Xperia Tablet Z2 spotted in purported press renders . NDTV . 2014-02-18 . 2014-08-10 . Swamy, Rohan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812203553/http://gadgets.ndtv.com/tablets/news/sony-xperia-tablet-z2-spotted-in-purported-press-renders-484934 . 2014-08-12 .
  32. Web site: Sony Xperia Z3 leak reveals near identical specs to the Xperia Z2 . The Inquirer . 2014-07-23 . 2014-08-10 . Page, Carly . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20140729134737/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2356876/sony-xperia-z3-leak-reveals-near-identical-specs-to-the-xperia-z2 . 2014-07-29 .
  33. Web site: Asus PadFone Tablet Hides Smartphone Inside . Mashable . 2011-05-29 . 2014-08-10 . White, Charlie . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140707142027/http://mashable.com/2011/05/29/asus-padfone-tablet-hides-smartphone-inside-pics/ . 2014-07-07 .
  34. Web site: ASUS Padfone 2 images leak out ahead of October 16th announcement . Yahoo! News . 2012-10-15 . 2014-08-10 . Wong . Raymond . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129023331/http://news.yahoo.com/asus-padfone-2-images-leak-ahead-october-16th-033151566.html . 2014-11-29 .
  35. Web site: ASUS PadFone Mini 4.3 pictured ahead of its launch next week . Engadget . 2014-08-10 . Lawler . Richard . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140810190419/http://www.engadget.com/2013/12/07/asus-padfone-mini-4-3-leaked/ . 2014-08-10 .
  36. News: Evan Blass aka @evleaks, leaks his own retirement on Twitter . 2014-08-07 . Christian Today . 2014-11-19.
  37. Web site: Evleaks - Tomorrow's news, yesterday . https://web.archive.org/web/20140829135802/http://evleaks.at/ . August 29, 2014 . 2014-08-30 . 2014-11-19 . Internet Archive . dead .
  38. Web site: evleaks.at Site Overview . 2014-11-19 . 2014-11-19 . Alexa.com . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150215083618/http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/evleaks.at . 2015-02-15 .
  39. Web site: Why @Evleaks is Giving Up Reporting Phone Scoops . The Next Web . 2014-08-03 . 2014-08-10 . Russell, Jon . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140808170927/http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/08/03/evan-blass-explains-evleaks-twitter-account-will-stop-reporting-phone-scoops/ . 2014-08-08 .
  40. Web site: Evan Blass explains why he's leaving tech news and retiring @evleaks, a source of phone scoops (Jon Russell/The Next Web) . Techmeme . 2014-08-10 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140806175041/http://www.techmeme.com/140803/p9#a140803p9 . 2014-08-06 .
  41. Web site: Evan Blass: 'My leaks give phones a buzz' . BBC . 27 August 2014 . Kwek, Nick . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140827171940/http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28885434 . 27 August 2014 .
  42. Web site: Evan Blass: King of the leakers . BBC . 23 August 2014 . Kelion, Leo . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140823175920/http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28882046 . 23 August 2014 .
  43. News: Behold @evleaks' 'retirement gift': A crystal clear Moto X+1 leak . Walter . Derek . 2014-08-22 . Greenbot . 2014-11-18 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129030000/http://www.greenbot.com/article/2597569/behold-evleaks-retirement-gift-a-crystal-clear-moto-x1-leak.html . 2014-11-29 .
  44. News: Google all set to launch Nexus 6, Nexus 9: Report . Mohan . Komal . 2014-10-15 . Times of India . 2014-11-17 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141018035635/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Google-all-set-to-launch-Nexus-6-Nexus-9-Report/articleshow/44826962.cms . 2014-10-18 .
  45. News: This is the new Droid Turbo, and it looks amazing . Epstein . Zach . 2014-10-20 . BGR . 2014-11-17 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141125010341/http://bgr.com/2014/10/20/droid-turbo-release-date-approaching-photo-leak/ . 2014-11-25 .
  46. News: The Unlikely Resurgence of Motorola . Blass . Evan . 2014-11-17 . Know Your Mobile . 2014-11-17 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141119183221/http://www.knowyourmobile.com/mobile-phones/google-nexus-6/22857/unlikely-resurgence-motorola . 2014-11-19 .
  47. News: PhoneArena . T. . Florin . 2015-05-13 . Meet the LG G Pad X and Microsoft Lumia 735 (both for Verizon) . 2015-05-13 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150515233052/http://www.phonearena.com/news/Meet-the-LG-G-Pad-X-and-Microsoft-Lumia-735-both-for-Verizon_id69239 . 2015-05-15 .
  48. News: PhoneArena . T. . Florin . 2015-05-13 . New Samsung Galaxy S6 Active renders show the phone's camouflage versions . 2015-05-13 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150515234502/http://www.phonearena.com/news/New-Samsung-Galaxy-S6-Active-renders-show-the-phones-camouflage-versions_id69241 . 2015-05-15 .
  49. Web site: 101 Signals: You Only Need to Listen to 16 People to Know What’s Up in the Tech World | Gadget Lab . WIRED . 2013-08-15 . 2014-08-10 . Staff . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140820153131/http://www.wired.com/2013/08/101signals-consumertech/ . 2014-08-20 .
  50. Web site: From the Shadows . Times of India . 2013-05-11 . 2014-08-10 . Patkar, Mihir . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129021920/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=CREST&BaseHref=TCRM%2F2013%2F05%2F11&ViewMode=GIF&PageLabel=14&EntityId=Ar01300&AppName=1 . 2014-11-29 .

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