Photo credit: Sarah Tew
Hi, I’m Iyaz Akhtar.
I’m a video guy. I’ve been a Principal Video Producer at CNET and a Host over on TWiT.tv. I also stole this bio format from a friend (thanks, Sarah).
Extended biography, third person, super long:
Iyaz Akhtar first started blogging about technology while in law school (yeah, really) in 2006. After watching some early podcasts including “This Week in Tech” and “Hak5,” Iyaz decided to try his hand at creating his own podcast. So, while studying for the bar exam, he created an entertainment review show called “Killing Time” with his best friend, Robert Borgesi.
The two dubbed themselves “Finite Comedy Systems” and eventually expanded into video sketches. Iyaz learned Final Cut Pro by attending Apple Store classes to build video editing skills. This led to working at Wil Harris’s ChannelFlip.com where they produced weekly video content for “ChannelFlip Tech.” The two were eventually given a spin-off show called “ChannelFlip Web,” a website review program. Each episode was co-written by the duo, while every episode was edited by Iyaz.
After graduating from the NYU School of Law with a Masters in Taxation, Iyaz became editor at Gadgetell.com, a small tech blog. There, he wrote news posts, reviews, and edited all posts appearing on the site while managing a staff of about 10 people. Iyaz created a weekly tech news video show called “Interruptech” while maintaining his ChannelFlip program. After being given an opportunity to make video his full-time job, Iyaz joined a startup called “TechVi” with Randall Bennett. He produced, hosted and edited a daily tech news show with updates throughout the day. He then started a number of independent video podcasts including the dinosaur news program, “Dinosaurs: Before They Were Fuels” and “This Old Nerd,” a tech how-to show. He also designed and constructed sets for his programs in his basement studio.
In 2011, Iyaz became a co-host of “Tech News Today” at the podcasting network “This Week in Tech.” Alongside Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane and Jason Howell, the quartet won a number of awards for the show. In 2012, Iyaz co-created, helped produce and co-hosted a new, weekly tech how-to show called “Know How…” He also guest-hosted on a number of the network’s most popular shows including “Windows Weekly” with Paul Thurrott and Mary Jo Foley, “iPad Today” with Sarah Lane and “Triangulation” where he interviewed Grant Imahara.
In 2014, Iyaz joined CNET.com. In the eight years he was there, Iyaz created and developed a number of new video series as well as joined long-running franchise video series. He co-hosted the longest-running podcast at CNET, “The 404” with Jeff Bakalar. Iyaz also created and hosted a new series called “Netpicks,” a show that keeps the viewer up-to-date with online video. He also produced a version of “Netpicks” that airs on over 25 radio stations. He was the host of CNET’s “Top 5.” Iyaz has been seen in how-to videos, substitute hosting on the tech news show “CNET Update” and has also guested as a tech expert on CBSNews.com, Fox 5 New York, The Weather Channel, podcasts and a number of radio outlets.
Iyaz lives in New York City and is officially a retired lawyer (yup, he passed the bar in New York).
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Email Iyaz at iyaz at iyaz.tv.