I started reading Brian Lam when he was a rookie of sorts at Wired. He then walked from the old world to join Nick Denton’s Gizmodo and rose to become its editor and during his tenure Gizmodo became a must read — very different from must scan headlines blogs. The downside of his rise to the top – he wrote a lot less and less. We have all fallen victims to that disease, where success (or the perception of success) comes in the way of what matters the most to us.

Lam eventually left Gizmodo. We met a few times and talked about the toll the hectic Internet existence can take on a person. I know Brian had been toying with many ideas but he has finally decided on TheWireCutter, a simple gadget blog. It is decidedly low frills and under designed. Lam says he is going to create a list of best gadgets and occasionally write longer reviews of gadgets that matter.

The Wirecutter is mostly a list of amazing gadgets. Consider it a Billboard for electronics; a Casey Kasem Top 40 if Casey Kasem were a geek; a wink and a nod to those engineers who have built something wonderful. The point is to make it easier for you to buy some great gear quickly and get on with your life. These are the same gadgets I’d recommend to my friends and family, and these are the same gadgets I’d choose for myself. [TheWirecutter]

This focus on purely signal will make this a must read blog!