• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, July 2, 2009

Peter Rojas, co-founder of Gizmodo and rival gadget site Engadget, is back with a new consumer tech blog, GDGT. Started with former Engadget editor-in-chief Ryan Block, the new site launching Wednesday will rely heavily on users to provide news and reviews and serve as a sort of social network for technofiles. The geek CBGB? Users will be able to create profile pages where they can list devices they own or covet and discuss consumer electronics trends and share tips and insights.

Social networking features and user-generated content aren't typically a great recipe for attracting brand advertisers. But consumer electronics has long been a strong ad category online so the site shouldn't have trouble pullling in advertising from gear makers. Rojas' track record will also help to sell the site. BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion has already signed on as GDGT exclusive advertiser for the first month, according to The New York Times.

From a consumer standpoint, what I'd like to see in a new gadget site is something like the Tomatometer on movie review site RottenTomatoes. But instead of assigning "freshness" ratings to films based on aggregated reviews, the meter would be applied to new devices based on user and professional reviews. In the same way, it would provide a shorthand way to see what the overall take is on the latest gear. With the series of high-profile smartphones launched this summer being compared to the seasonal release of tent pole movies, it only seems a fitting step. It also might simplify the process of selecting a smartphone. A Best Buy/GfK Roper study this week suggested nearly half of adults who don't own a smartphone are confused by the variety of models and features. Like going to a multiplex with 5,00o screens and tickets cost $200 instead of $12.50. Bring on the gadget Tomatometer.