Gary Brickman, a former editor at TechWeb, died in his sleep Sunday at his home in San Francisco. He was 38 years old.

A veteran of CMP Media's Interactive Age and Interactive Age Digital, Brickman joined TechWeb in 1998 as news editor. He shortly took over the position of executive producer of CMPnet's Internet Broadcasts, where he was an innovator in the use of streaming media over the Net. Many of the techniques he helped develop at TechWeb are now being used in today's Internet newscasts, said Jeff Pundyk, chief reality officer for www.zwirl.com and a former CMP colleague of Brickman's.

Brickman also helped launch CMP's TechWeb Today webcast, one of the first efforts to incorporate RealNetworks' SMIL audio/visual technology.

Prior to CMP, Brickman had a long career in broadcast journalism, which included a stint at "CBS This Morning." He most recently worked at NBCi as managing editor, broadband, where he was responsible for programming the daily content on NBCi's broadband portal.

Brickman, born and raised in Palo Alto, Calif., was widely recognized in the industry and beyond. He spent his life in a wheelchair, but that did not limit his mobility — physical or otherwise — friends and colleagues said.

"I am saddened to hear of Gary's untimely passing," said Rob Glaser, chairman of RealNetworks, Seattle. "He was he a true pioneer in online journalism and Internet media. We will all miss Gary's passion and intellect. His ability to overcome daunting physical disabilities through sheer willpower was nothing short of heroic."
— TechWeb staff

Read Jeff Pundyk’s memorial to Gary