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draz

354 karma · joined December 6, 2010

I'm a Product person with a software development background. My focus is on ML applications in ads and traditional media.

dan. raz @gmail.com

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draz··on My father may be gone, but ‘our’ radio is still going
This is heartwarming to read. Would you consider recording and uploading videos of the repairs to YouTube?
draz··on U.S. News pulls Columbia University from its 2022 rankings
They expect students of a certain caliber. If the applicant exceeds their expectations, the university assumes the student is using this application as a “safety school.”
draz··on Forget personalisation, it’s impossible and it doesn’t work
I think the authors are overlooking that a Disney movie is 1.5 hrs long and has the opportunity to cater to multiple audiences (eg, insert a joke that parents get but flies over the kids’ head), whereas an ad is viewed for a split second. Also, there is certainly specialization in content (BET vs MTV vs Disney Channel etc). The key to advertising is in going broad with the audiences to reach, but specific in the message for each segment.

(I’ve worked for one of the top TV and cinema content companies in the world, and currently working for one of the top DSPs (advertising)).

draz··on New Study Says Climate Change Is Indeed Making Your Allergies Worse
Does more pollen translate to more trees (in theory)? Is this earth’s way to fight global warming through an increase in vegetation?
draz··on Brave disables Chromium FLoC features
“Why would the cohort membership change frequently? Isn't it based on your browsing habits?” -> cohorts need to be rebalanced over time, so your cohort membership could change.
draz··on Brave disables Chromium FLoC features
Cohorts cannot be too small (or they are not published), nor too big (or they are not particularly useful for capturing a particular set of behaviors/interests). The algorithm will balance these two constraints which will lead to any individuals coming in and out of particular cohorts. The semantic meaning of a cohort will likely change over time as well. For that, FLoC is proposing adding version IDs
draz··on Compensation as a Reflection of Values
Sure, but you’re trading accessibility/entertainment/<something else people value and typically accept as a given for living in Manhattan>. At a certain point, it makes more sense to leave Manhattan to one of the other boroughs, go across the river to New Jersey, or move further up to Westchester/ Long Island. Your money goes further there (housing, groceries).
draz··on Compensation as a Reflection of Values
$1800 is the very very low end for Manhattan (and likely a reflection of COVID price drops): https://streeteasy.com/studios-for-rent/manhattan
draz··on Show HN: Primo – all-in-one IDE, CMS, component library, static site generator
I previously worked as Product lead for a homegrown CMS for one of the large media companies. We built a solution to address a myriad of content types (images, videos, voice, news articles, games, etc), For content in all major languages. I like this, and happy to chat if you want to get a perspective.
draz··on YouTube TV sharply increases monthly subscription to $64.99
You need to think about it more holistically - not just YouTube, but Google as a whole (think about all the various Google enterprise products, cloud, etc).
draz··on YouTube TV sharply increases monthly subscription to $64.99
That’s exactly right. I can’t talk numbers, but a consumer is more likely to stick with a channel/app by X% (where X is a significant number) if s/he watches Y shows. Y increases as X increases.
draz··on YouTube TV sharply increases monthly subscription to $64.99
YouTube is not the content producer, rather strikes deals with content producers. The reality is there is consolidation in the media world, with a few mega corporations managing most channels. They typically bundle a few channels together for vMVPDs/MVPDs, for leverage - “you want channel X, you must also get channel Y.”

Source: I head a Product organization at a mega media org.

draz··on Ask HN: How did you prepare for being a first-time parent?
- First aid for infants course: self explanatory. - "Baby Bargains" book: does a fairly good job at creating a list of important data points to consider when purchasing a class of of baby products (strollers, car seats, etc.). You can then use it to optimize your purchase to your needs (price point and features). - Babycenter website had a nice weekly email you could sign up for that describes the various milestones you could expect for your child.
draz··on Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s W19 Demo Day 1
Does it require specialized equipment? If yes, what’s the value of video vs fingerprint reader that’s more ubiquitous?
draz··on Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s W19 Demo Day 1
Had the same idea as Keynua. I quickly (foolishly?) dismissed it because of Deep Fake. How would they ensure trust in the video?
draz··on Launch HN: Latchel (YC W19) – Rental Property Maintenance as a Service
I'd be curious to see whether this expands into the BuildingLink market.
draz··on Philadelphia Is First U.S. City to Ban Cashless Stores
Is it just about purchasing access to certain consumer groups, or also a defensive move to preserve human cashiers jobs?
draz··on Show HN: Automatically synchronize subtitles with video
Netflix did a good job outlining their requirements (which are mirroring industry requirements): https://partnerhelp.netflixstudios.com/hc/en-us/articles/215... Note that I do not work for Netflix rather another multinational mass media conglomerate.
draz··on Show HN: Automatically synchronize subtitles with video
This is an area I am actively looking into at the moment for my employer. It's an interesting project, and I am excited to see work in this domain. Note that this will not pass QC at any broadcaster/OTT. Our tolerance is typically within 1-12 frames (and a bunch of other requirements around shot changes, etc.)
draz··on Why doctors hate their computers
I was part of an implementation team for an EHR at a very large ambulatory unit (i.e., private practices of one of the largest hospitals in the US). Complaints for EHR by medical staff were as follows: 1) "I am spending time looking at the computer instead of making eye contact with the patient. Therefore, patient experience deteriorates." 2) "Pen and paper are much faster inputs than having to click around tabs and typing values" (especially for older doctors). This slows them down, which means they can see less patients (direct impact on revenue). 3) While there were government incentives to encourage practices to implement EHRs, doctors from more lucrative specialties (who are not involved in research) did not see value in having the data computerized. Imagine an ophthalmologist who can perform another Lasek procedure instead of record a patient's drinking status, and other things that may not affect the procedure.
draz··on Israel silent as Iran hit by computer virus more violent than Stuxnet – report
“Some guy” is probably an employee of the facility who knew perfectly well the USB key that he was probably given, not at random, is not innocuous.
draz··on Mozilla announces an open gateway for the internet of things
I thought long and hard about IoT devices and their value. For the most part, I agree that most IoT devices could exist and provide the same value as a non-IoT counterpart. Do you really need a connection to the weather service to know the canopy in your backyard needs to be rolled because of a potential storm? A simple anemometer with a micro controller can tell it to shut off above a certain wind speed. Most IoT devices "excel" in allowing you to connect to the device via your smart phone. Which is convenient, but not groundbreaking. Where the value of IoT devices lies is in very few use-cases where the IoT device relies on data not found in its proximity. Something like Nest speaking to my electric company to find the lowest rate and optimizing A/C usage around it is quite compelling IMHO. I look forward to seeing more of that rather than the remote use case....
draz··on Show HN: API to check where a TV show or movie is available
What license does it carry?
draz··on Travelers just won back a bit of their privacy at the border
Not to sound facetious, but data on a "remote server" could be accessed through a (legal or non-legal) backdoor. So this amendment is little relief.
draz··on Ask HN: As an employee of a company, how do you assess its health?
- Employee turnover: a large layoff - Retention: some many know something you don't, especially at the high levels. - Restructuring/reorging: there are companies that view this method as a panacea for all ailments (rather than treating the underlying issue(s)). - Projects funded: a concentrated focus on projects that "reduce cost" or "introduce efficiencies" rather than on growth and R&D may be indicative of either a contraction to make a company more palatable for a buy-out, or a simple general state of the money in the bank.
draz··on Why Hyperlinks Are Blue (and Other Quirky Web Origin Stories)
It's probably a reason to continue maintaining a distinct position for each color in the traffic light.
draz··on Jeff Bezos explains the perfect way to make risky business decisions
I was thinking of the same thing! 70% is "too slow" as well.
draz··on Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
Epidemiologist or homocide detective. Both (at least from the outside) seem like they require extreme skills at picking out a needle in a haystack.
draz··on Reasons 2016 was a great year for humanity
I don't want this to come across as if I support these particular programs, but I would imagine some tech comes out through veterans and takes on consumer applications.

Does the NSA file patents? If not, usage of tech is probably enforced by the honor code

draz··on AT&T Is in Advanced Talks to Acquire Time Warner
National Amusements (Viacom's main shareholder) isn't interested in selling to a 3rd party[1]: "To avoid any doubt, National Amusements is not willing to accept or support (i) any acquisition by a third party of either company or (ii) any transaction that would result in National Amusements surrendering its controlling position in either company or not controlling the combined company."

Everything has a price, though, one can imagine.

[1]http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160929005731/en/Viac...

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