Patrick Norton

Infobox Celebrity

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image_size = 200px
caption = Patrick Norton, October 2006
name = Patrick Norton
birth_date = birth date and age|1970|6|26
birth_place = Urbana, Illinois, U.S.
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Managing Editor; Host
salary =
networth =
spouse =
website = [http://revision3.com/ "Revision3"]
[http://revision3.com/tekzilla "Tekzilla"]
[http://systm.org/ "Systm"]
[http://www.twit.tv/ "TWiT (This Week in Tech)"]
footnotes =
children =1

Patrick Norton (born June 26 1970, Urbana, Illinois) is most commonly known as the former co-host and managing editor of "The Screen Savers", an interactive television program on TechTV geared toward the technology enthusiast. He is currently a managing editor at Revision3 where he hosts "Systm" and "Tekzilla".

Early life

Norton grew up in the Midwest, but considers the Jersey Shore his home. He graduated from Pace University in New York City with a major in English literature.

Career

After graduating from college, Norton tested products and wrote for "PC Magazine", "Computer Shopper", and "InfoWorld", and managed the hardware reviews section of "Windows Sources" magazine.

In the spring of 2000, ZDTV(later TechTV) named Norton as the co-host (alongside Leo Laporte) and managing editor of "The Screen Savers", a television show centered around computers, new technologies, and their adaptations in the world. Norton remained in this capacity until the spring of 2004.

On March 25, 2004, Comcast's G4 gaming channel announced a merger with TechTV. This move became hugely controversial among loyal fans of TechTV. Around May 6, G4 announced the termination of 250 employees from the San Francisco office by July 10, 2004, allowing approximately 80 to 100 employees to transition to G4's main office in Los Angeles, California if they agreed to relocate there. Norton chose to stay in San Francisco instead of moving to Los Angeles, and left the company.

Norton co-hosted an Internet videocast with Robert Heron called "DL.TV" which covers a wide range of technology related topics and is streamed live every Thursday (it was streamed live twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays until episode 189). Norton has created a large fan base that is still delighted with his work as a technology guru. He announced on August 2, 2007 that he will no longer be the host of "DL.TV" in favor of a new job and having a child on the way in a few months. [ [http://zdpub.vo.llnwd.net/o2/dltv/episode188/dl.tv.188.mov Episode 188-dl.tv] ] His last appearance as the host of "DL.TV" was episode 188.

Norton also co-hosted a weekly podcast with Jim Louderback, the current CEO for Revision 3, called " [http://rssnewsapps.ziffdavis.com/audioblogs/whatsnewnow.xml What's New Now] ". This podcast is no longer being produced, the final episode having been produced May 15, 2007.

Norton wrote for ExtremeiPod before it was taken down in the wake of pressure from Apple over the use of the word "iPod". He also ran the hardware reviews section of "Windows Sources" magazine. Norton cut his technical teeth on Osborne and Kaypro CP/M systems in the early 1980s.

Norton also appears on the weekly podcast "This Week in Tech" (a.k.a. TWiT) along with several other former members of TechTV, including Leo Laporte, Kevin Rose, John C. Dvorak, and his former "DL.TV" co-host Robert Heron.

Norton is currently a managing editor at Revision3 where he is hosting "Systm" and "Tekzilla". Norton first confirmed his employment with Revision 3 on TWiT episode 110 at 58:52 (The popular Netcast hosted by friend Leo Laporte). [ [http://www.twit.tv/110 This Week in Tech podcast, episode 110 for August 20, 2007] ]

Personal life

Norton currently lives in San Francisco, California with his wife and his son. [ [http://www.twit.tv/118 This Week in Tech podcast, episode 118 for October 22, 2007] ] . Norton and his wife had their first child in October 2007. He credits the baby in episodes of Systm, TWiT, and his newest show Tekzilla. Norton mentioned on TWiT episode 121 that he and his wife wish to keep details about their child from the public eye. His wife is a librarian. He also enjoys racing sailboats, off-road racing (he is typically absent during the week of the Baja 1000) and snowboarding, and spends as much free time as possible at his oceanfront home with a surfboard or kayak. While he no longer plays bass guitar in a punk rock band, he does dote upon his massive collection of over 700 compact discs.

Aside from his love of music, he is also known for his love of sledgehammers, "Flogging Molly", and kilts, which he has worn on numerous episodes of "The Screen Savers" and "DL.TV". He is a recovering alcoholic, claiming on an episode of "DL.TV" that he started drinking at age 16. He's quoted in a G4TV interview from April 2000 as being nine years sober. He has come out in favor of Net Neutrality.

Norton was spotted by Google Maps' Street View, jaywalking in front of Ziff Davis headquarters in San Francisco, CA. [ [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=37.788666,-122.399545&spn=0.002853,0.00412&z=18&om=1&layer=c&cbll=37.787778,-122.399502&cbp=1,276.281452848674,0.603808276929053,3 Google Maps] ]

References

External links

* [http://revision3.com/ "Revision3"]
* [http://revision3.com/tekzilla "Tekzilla"]
* [http://systm.org/ "Systm"]
* [http://www.twit.tv/ "This Week in Tech"]
* [http://www.dl.tv/ "DL.TV"]
* [http://rssnewsapps.ziffdavis.com/zd_norton.xml Patrick Norton's RSS feed]
* [http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1860171,00.asp What's New Now Podcast]