Archive for the 'Personal' Category

In Search of Jim Gray

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on February 6, 2007
in Personal and Technology
. 1 Comment

I know Jim Gray.

Well, I don’t know him personally, but I have watched his presentations at numerous conferences, and thank him often for his ground-breaking work in transactional database design. Business works today, in part, because of that core work.

Jim Gray went Missing At Sea on January 28, 2007, after setting out on a solo voyage from San Francisco Bay for the Farallon Islands, some 25 miles out. It’s February 6 as I write this. Jim and his 40-foot sailboat have not been found.

With the Coast Guard giving up on the search, the high tech community has stepped up to do what they can to assist. In particular, Amazon.com has uploaded recent satellite images of the 3,500 square mile search area and has set up a Mechanical Turk activity to harness the power of Internet users to identify a small boat in a large sea. Each user is asked to review an image and try to spot Jim’s boat within that patch of sea.

Werner Vogels, CTO of Amazon.com, asks for our help and covers the Amazon Mechanical Turk effort well.

I spent the day today helping to complete the effort. Today, we reviewed the remaining few thousand satellite images. While I did find a few images that may have had a small sailboat on them, the best I could find was the following:

Pretty tough to spot a 40-foot sailboat from outer space! That white blip is likely a cloud. But who knows. I forwarded this one, and a few others, on to the experts for further review.

When the final images had been reviewed, I received the following message from Amazon:

Thank You for Helping Search for Jim Gray.

On behalf of everyone involved in the ongoing search for Jim Gray, thank you.

The efforts of the Mechanical Turk community during the last several days have been remarkable. Your work has contributed to one of the largest volunteer search efforts ever.

During the last 5 days, Mechanical Turk workers looked at more than 560,000 images from 3 satellites, covering nearly 3,500 square miles of ocean. A group of experts is currently reviewing the images that workers identified, and sending their results to the appropriate authorities.

More information about the search is available at: http://helpfindjim.com

This is an amazing example of the power of the people. When technology is put to a very good and noble use.

Many thanks to Amazon.com and all the volunteers that have been helping to find Jim. I am certainly praying for a miracle ending to this story.

As you may know, I spent 7 years doing mountain Search and Rescue in Colorado. This is the strangest search that I have ever contributed to. I was very happy to do so.

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5AM Ventures Closes $150M Fund II - I’m In!

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on January 8, 2007
in Personal and Venture Capital
. 0 Comments

I am thrilled to report the recent closing of 5AM Ventures Fund II.

Thrilled, in part, because I am lucky enough to be a Limited Partner in the fund!

Fund II is a $150M fund focused on early-stage biotechnology and medical device companies. VentureWire Professional reports it here (subscription required). In particular:

5AM Ventures has closed its second health care venture fund at $150 million and has funded three early-stage companies from the new vehicle, Managing Partner Andrew J. Schwab told VentureWire.

The Menlo Park, Calif., firm held a final closing on Dec. 19 for the fund, which had a $150 million target. The fund more than doubles the $65 million debut partnership the firm raised in 2003.

So, why did I invest in 5AM Ventures (and, indirectly, in their Portfolio companies)? Simple:

  1. I always invest in the people. John Diekman, Andy Schwab, and Scott Rocklage are guys with the proper moral compass. I’ve spent a lot of time with these guys, and their entire team, and consider myself lucky to know them all. In addition to being very good and knowledgeable investors, they are very good people. In my most recent interaction with John, as an example, it was natural for me to end my time with him with the following: "John, you are a consummate gentleman, generous, and gracious." If you know John, you will know what I’m talking about. 5AM Ventures has also assembled an extremely impressive Scientific Advisory Board which brings them some clear advantages.
  2. I always invest in the market. The biotechnology and medical devices markets are focused on bringing life-changing advances to mankind. These are big-money markets today, and the next 10 years will see some amazing breakthroughs (pay no attention to my review of Next). Early-stage investors, like 5AM Ventures, are investing at the right time to see some seriously big returns. At $150M, it’s a relatively small fund for biotech (which, I think is to their advantage), but the likes of John, Andy, and Scott have the knowledge and contacts to find and win the right to invest and grow the best companies. In essence, a smaller fund focused on early-stage investments with a well-connected team in a booming and liquid sector means, to me, that their chance for one or two very big wins are higher than most.
  3. I always invest in firms that can execute. 5AM Ventures is young, to be sure. Founded in 2003 with a $65M Fund I means that there has not been much time to measure their success as a firm. However, their portfolio speaks for itself. That’s great progress for a $65M fund over a 3-year investment period. VentureWire reports that Fund II already has 3 investments in Fund II (which are not yet on the Portfolio page).

Bottom line: I don’t know how to invest in biotech. I believe in the market and the timing for the market, but I couldn’t pick the winners. No chance. I’ll stick to what I know (Enterprise/IT, Virtualization, Open Source, Mobile, Internet Services) and leave the biotech space to these folks, thank you. I’ll invest in the investors and, wherever I can, help them be successful.

Best of luck to the entire 5AM Ventures team!

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You Are Spider-Man

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on January 2, 2007
in Entertainment and Personal
. 0 Comments

Spotted this on TechCrunch.

As a Superhero, looks like I am Spider-Man (or, Iron Man, as the mood suits):

Your results:

You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man
80%
Iron Man
80%
The Flash
75%
Superman
70%
Green Lantern
65%
Robin
58%
Supergirl
58%
Catwoman
50%
Hulk
50%
Wonder Woman
43%
Batman
35%
You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.

Click here to take the “Which Superhero are you?” quiz…
As a Super Villain, looks like I am Dr. Doom:

Your results:

You are Dr. Doom

Dr. Doom
76%
Apocalypse
64%
Lex Luthor
61%
Juggernaut
60%
Poison Ivy
58%
Dark Phoenix
58%
Magneto
58%
Mystique
56%
Kingpin
54%
Mr. Freeze
53%
Catwoman
53%
Venom
48%
The Joker
47%
Green Goblin
44%
Riddler
32%
Two-Face
28%
Blessed with smarts and power but burdened by vanity.

Click here to take the “Which Super Villain are you?” quiz…
As a kid, The Flash was my favorite. I’m off by just 5%. I’ll take it.

I grew up reading and collecting comic books. Still have an old box in the garage with some nice ones saved away for a rainy day.

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Questions To Ask Before Marriage

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on December 21, 2006
in Entertainment and Personal
. 0 Comments

Well, just moments after I announce my engagement, I stumble upon the following New York Times article, Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying.

Here they are:

  1. Have we discussed whether or not to have children, and if the answer is yes, who is going to be the primary care giver?
  2. Do we have a clear idea of each other’s financial obligations and goals, and do our ideas about spending and saving mesh?
  3. Have we discussed our expectations for how the household will be maintained, and are we in agreement on who will manage the chores?
  4. Have we fully disclosed our health histories, both physical and mental?
  5. Is my partner affectionate to the degree that I expect?
  6. Can we comfortably and openly discuss our sexual needs, preferences and fears?
  7. Will there be a television in the bedroom?
  8. Do we truly listen to each other and fairly consider one another’s ideas and complaints?
  9. Have we reached a clear understanding of each other’s spiritual beliefs and needs, and have we discussed when and how our children will be exposed to religious/moral education?
  10. Do we like and respect each other’s friends?
  11. Do we value and respect each other’s parents, and is either of us concerned about whether the parents will interfere with the relationship?
  12. What does my family do that annoys you?
  13. Are there some things that you and I are NOT prepared to give up in the marriage?
  14. If one of us were to be offered a career opportunity in a location far from the other’s family, are we prepared to move?
  15. Does each of us feel fully confident in the other’s commitment to the marriage and believe that the bond can survive whatever challenges we may face?

The good news. Amy and I have covered most of these already.

Heck, even if you’re married, these are good discussion points to review at your anniversary with your spouse.

In my opinion, the key ones here are: communication, money management, and a similar moral compass.

Oh, and did I mention Communication?

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I No Longer Have A Girlfriend

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on December 21, 2006
in Personal
. 4 Comments

This post is decidedly personal. More Blog Transparency for you.

I no longer have a girlfriend.

On Tuesday (December 19, 2006), I popped the question to Amy, my ex-girlfriend.

Those famous four words.

She said yes.

So, I now have a fiancée!

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Who’s On First

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on December 21, 2006
in Entertainment and Personal
. 2 Comments

One of the things you may not know about me: I was a huge Abbott and Costello fan when I was growing up. The Internet has brought back many of those early memories, and even mashed them up a bit.

Here’s a quick YouTube collection of Who’s On First for your enjoyment this holiday season.

The Original (Abbott & Costello):

Who’s On Force (Yoda & Jar Jar):

Animated (Christopher Walken & Morgan Freeman):

Hu’s On First (George W & Condoleeza Rice):

A Nice Impression (this is harder than it looks, and these guys did a nice job):

Finally, Jews On First (In Living Color, Lou Farrakhan & Al Sharpton):

Happy Holidays!

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Photo Sharing Sites Go Unlimited

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on December 19, 2006
in Personal, Photography and Startups
. 3 Comments

Say "Cheese"!

I’ve been watching the digital media sharing market pretty closely of late. In today’s post, we look at a few photo sharing sites. I’m currently building a business plan about serving the user base of the major photo sharing sites. There, I’ve said it! And, hence, the reason for fewer and fewer posts to this blog.

What has been catching my eye is the plethora of photo sharing sites that are now starting to offer free (or nearly free) photo storage, sharing, and serving. Even for your highest-resolution pictures. Digital photography has taken the world by storm, and digital video is right behind it. These markets are growing quickly.

The Flickr Blog recently announced the new unlimited uploads being offered to Flickr Pro customers (Pro accounts cost a mere $24.95/year):

And it’s even better to give the gift of Flickr since now your recipients will get unlimited uploads — the two gigabyte monthly limit is no more (yep, pro users have no limits on how many photos they can upload)! At the same time, we’ve upped the limit for free account members as well, from 20MB per month up to 100MB (yep, five times more)!

Flickr is a great site for photographers. I gladly pay the $25/year to subscribe. They are my preferred photo sharing site right now.

Yahoo! Photos is a 100% FREE service that allows you to upload an unlimited number of photos to the site. There are some constraints, like that you can only have 300 photos in a single "album", and the do ask you to use their photo printing service once in a while. But, they don’t force you to do so.

Note that Yahoo! also owns Flickr. So, if you’re looking for FREE or very cheap photo sharing, you should be looking to Yahoo!

The Kodak EasyShare Gallery is also a FREE photo sharing site that allows for unlimited, high-resolutionn photo storage. There is one catch, however. Unlike Yahoo! Photos, Kodak EasyShare Gallery does require you to use their photo printing service, else they will start deleting your precious memories. Not a big deal, really. They just ask that you make a purchase once every 12 months. Seems reasonable. And, a single 4×6 photo is currently just $0.15, so it’s not going to break the bank to order a print each year. Basically FREE.

Are there other services that are FREE, or less than $36/year, which allow you to store an unlimited number of photos (or videos!) in their full and original high-resolution format?

 Please add to the comments!

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Are You The Pack Leader?

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on December 14, 2006
in Books, Personal and Venture Capital
. 1 Comment

If you have a dog in your house, or if you have friends or family members that have dogs, or if you come across dogs in your work, then you should know about Cesar Millan.

Cesar is a true entrepreneur.

He was born and raised in Mexico, came to America and bootstrapped his own business for training and rehabilitating dogs in Los Angeles at his Dog Psychology Center. His clientele grew to include celebrities with troubled canines (or was it really troubled celebrities?), and he eventually caught the attention of the folks in TV (we are talking about Hollywood, after all, very near the place that I grew up!).

The National Geographic Channel picked him up in 2004 and ran a series of Cesar doing what he does best. Cesar rehabilitates dogs and trains people. He is The Dog Whisperer.

I only learned about the show a couple months ago. And… The show is great!

I’ve had dogs in my home for most of my life. I learned a ton of what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong by watching the show. You should watch it too! Here’s the blog.

Malcolm Gladwell, of Tipping Point and Blink fame, wrote a great piece for New Yorker magazine on Cesar titled What the Dog Saw. Then followed up with this blog article, which got a lot of great discussion.

The New York Times follows up with an Op-Ed piece written by Mark Derr. Apparently, Mr. Derr is not a fan of Cesar’s approach of being the Pack Leader (being "calm and assertive" with your pet; treating it as a dog expects to be treated and not like it is a human baby) and closes with the following point:

Veterinary behaviorists, having found that many aggressive dogs suffer from low levels of serotonin, have had success in treating such dogs with fluoxetine (the drug better known as Prozac).

Yeah. Drugs will solve the problem! Give me a break. I don’t think Mr. Derr has actually watched the show. I’m amazed that the New York Times even ran this. Well, if you read the bio for Mr. Derr, you see that he is pushing a book and chooses to do it by creating conflict-generated buzz. Thanks, but I’ll pass on the book, Mr. Derr.

However, if you want to check out Cesar’s stuff on Amazon, try:

       

Being the Pack Leader of your startup is a whole different matter. Do not try these techniques on your software developers.

Happy Holidays!

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Body Worlds 2

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on December 14, 2006
in Personal and Technology
. 0 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Boston and had the good fortune of attending the Body Worlds 2 exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science. I would have to say that it was perhaps the most fascinating science museum exhibit that I have ever enjoyed. Highly recommended. If it comes to your town - go see it!

From the Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies Press Release: "BODY WORLDS 2 features more than 200 real human body specimens, including 20 whole body specimens, which effectively demonstrate the relationship between healthy lifestyles and healthy bodies. Guests can compare smokers’ and non-smokers’ lungs as well as healthy and diseased hearts. Close-up studies of health ailments, depicted in the exhibition, provide viewers an opportunity to reevaluate their lifestyles and consider more healthful habits."

The plastination process allows for these actual human body donations to be preserved in a way that is simply magical.

The exhibit combines the best of Art, Science, and Learning.

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Is My Toyota Prius Hybrid Worth It?

Published
by
Brian Berliner
on November 17, 2006
in Gadgets, Personal and Technology
. 3 Comments

+

Lifehacker asks if a hybrid is worth the money. They reference an excellent article written by OmniNerd, which is worth a read by anyone considering the purchase of a hybrid vehicle.

Since I recently purchased a 2007 Toyota Prius hybrid, I thought I’d comment.

First, the OmniNerd article is very well written and researched. Many thanks to the author. The conclusion is basically that the cost of hybrids is higher than the return you will achieve through the reduction of gas consumption. I think this conclusion doesn’t surprise most people, but it’s great to back it up with some good math.

OmniNerd also points out that hybrid batteries will need to be replaced in 8-10 years. They did not add this cost to the total cost of ownership of a hybrid vehicle in their calculations. If they did, the hybrids would have looked even worse. However, they do note that hybrids appear to be holding their value better than a comparable non-hybrid.

For me, the cost of the vehicle is a sunk cost — I save until I can buy a car, then pay cash. I’m a delayed gratification kind of guy. As such, the OmniNerd calculations of the loan payments versus a paid-off 1999 Honda don’t really factor into my mind. For those that are financing, the monthly payments certainly would.

For me, I feel like I have an extra $25 in my wallet every time that I visit the pump now. I like that feeling. I’m 6-weeks into ownership of the Prius with 2,400 miles on the beast already. Overall mileage for me is currently 47.7 MPG. Your mileage may vary.

OmniNerd neglects to mention the lower emissions as a value of the hybrids — one that is harder to put a price on. The stats on the windshield showed the Prius to have one-fifth to one-tenth fewer emissions than non-hybrids. I like that feeling, too. Whenever I sit at a 3-minute stop light with the engine completely off and think about the 50 other cars around me chugging gas and spewing emissions while we wait our turn, then multiply that number times the hundreds of thousands of red lights across the world at that very moment, it certainly makes me think.

Who has done that math?

It’s gotta add up.

Oh, and OmniNerd has no way to calculate the value I receive by using the carpool lanes because I drive a low-emissions high-mileage vehicle. Lower stress, longer life.

So, yeah, I paid more up-front than a comparable non-hybrid car. No argument about that. But, I was happy to do so for all the other benefits.

Finally, Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive really is a masterful piece of engineering. Hybrids will become a natural part of most cars in the next 5-10 years. Battery technology will also improve in that time (I look forward to the introduction of Lithium-Ion batteries, naturally), and you will see common MPG ratings of 80+ MPG within 5 years (perhaps much sooner).

So, back to the math. If we all doubled our mileage, our oil consumption would drop in half. That’s easy math. Triple it and it drops to one-third. You get the idea. Progress continues, and I welcome it. I’m happy to support the innovators.

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