Latest news with #Meetup
Sydney Morning Herald
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The bold bookworms staying a step ahead
With a cold breeze that went straight through you in Melbourne on Sunday, it was the perfect day to sit inside beside the fire with a good book. Instead, a brave bevy of bookworms rugged up and headed to the CBD to explore a novel idea – a walking book club. As joggers in the Run Melbourne 2025 event streamed past, these intrepid souls were exercising their brains as well as their bodies, by walking beside the Yarra River and chatting about books. Members don't actually bury their noses in the pages as they walk, because you'd trip, says Julia Lees, who organises the Walking Bookclub through the Meetup app. She might ask another club member what they thought of the chosen book as they stroll from Federation Square to the Royal Botanic Gardens and back, but otherwise discussion is free-range. After a 90-minute stroll, members gather over coffee or food at Riverland Bar below Federation Square. Four years ago, Lees, a librarian, was running separate book and walking groups, when she had a brainwave – why not combine the two? The Walking Bookclub has been a hit. It has more than 100 members and has covered books from The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro, to Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty.
The Age
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
The bold bookworms staying a step ahead
With a cold breeze that went straight through you in Melbourne on Sunday, it was the perfect day to sit inside beside the fire with a good book. Instead, a brave bevy of bookworms rugged up and headed to the CBD to explore a novel idea – a walking book club. As joggers in the Run Melbourne 2025 event streamed past, these intrepid souls were exercising their brains as well as their bodies, by walking beside the Yarra River and chatting about books. Members don't actually bury their noses in the pages as they walk, because you'd trip, says Julia Lees, who organises the Walking Bookclub through the Meetup app. She might ask another club member what they thought of the chosen book as they stroll from Federation Square to the Royal Botanic Gardens and back, but otherwise discussion is free-range. After a 90-minute stroll, members gather over coffee or food at Riverland Bar below Federation Square. Four years ago, Lees, a librarian, was running separate book and walking groups, when she had a brainwave – why not combine the two? The Walking Bookclub has been a hit. It has more than 100 members and has covered books from The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro, to Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty.
Techday NZ
10-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Brightcove unveils AI updates to transform video platform
Brightcove has set out a new direction for its video engagement platform, focusing on artificial intelligence innovation, customer feedback, and enhancing the user experience. The company, now owned by Bending Spoons, announced a range of updates and investments to its platform designed to serve the diverse needs of media and enterprise clients. Much of this transformation is underpinned by Bending Spoons' proprietary AI technology, drawing on its experience with products such as Remini, Evernote, and Meetup. AI-powered enhancements Brightcove's latest strategy features a series of AI-driven tools and capabilities. Among these are automated captioning, multilingual dubbing, smart content analysis, and a native recommendation engine. Other additions include support for ultra-high definition live streaming, intelligent video clipping, and reformatting features aimed at optimising content for various social platforms. Further AI features will be introduced to benefit both end-users and content providers, such as predictive buffering and adaptive bitrate optimisation. These are intended to improve video playback quality across different devices and network conditions. Updating user experience Accompanying the announcement is a renewed focus on the quality of experience provided to customers. Planned updates include a comprehensive overhaul of Brightcove's user interface and experience, workflow streamlining, support for vertical video formats, and the introduction of animated thumbnails. These refinements are being developed to improve day-to-day usability and ensure a more efficient and engaging workflow for video teams. Customer insight at the core Brightcove's refreshed platform strategy has been shaped by discussions with over 50 customers worldwide, drawn from various sectors and geographies. These conversations have helped prioritise feature development, ensuring the updated platform responds to practical business needs and measurable outcomes. "At Brightcove, our aim is to deliver a powerful and reliable platform that is deeply aligned with the needs of modern media and enterprise users. We're enthusiastic to bring our new product strategy to life, combining customer insight with Bending Spoons' AI expertise to build a long-term strategy hand-in-hand with our customers," Luca Ferrari, CEO of Bending Spoons commented. Brightcove's approach now follows two parallel tracks: the introduction of new innovation, such as AI-powered features and platform extensions; and improvements to the core product, focused on usability and experience. This structure is designed to ensure balanced development, continually responsive to feedback from users. Leveraging Bending Spoons' expertise Bending Spoons brings a technical foundation gained from developing digital products for a global user base. Its vertically integrated technology stack and expertise in artificial intelligence have been cited as key factors in the rapid rollout of new Brightcove features. Examples include the successful commercialisation of fully AI-powered applications and the seamless integration of new tools into existing platforms. The expanded platform aims to cater both to media companies seeking to stream and monetise content, and to enterprises looking to communicate more effectively and securely with their audiences. By continuing to invest in core technology and leveraging its parent company's resources, Brightcove seeks to ensure its future product roadmap is closely synchronised with the demands of its client base.
Business Wire
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Brightcove Unveils Its New Vision for the Future of Video Engagement, Powered by Proprietary AI and Customer Insight
MILAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Brightcove, the intelligent video engagement company, has today unveiled a bold new chapter in its evolution, signaling a renewed commitment to innovation, customer-centricity and meaningful digital experiences. Backed by new owner Bending Spoons, and incorporating its powerful proprietary AI technology, Brightcove is reimagining its platform to meet the growing demands of both Media and Enterprise customers. This marks a strategic evolution in how Brightcove approaches product development, balancing cutting-edge innovation with a relentless focus on quality of experience. The company is investing in areas that matter most to its customers, including new AI-powered features developed in-house, enhanced monetization tools, and a more intuitive user experience. Brightcove's new direction is the result of extensive collaboration with more than 50 customers across industries, geographies, and use cases. These conversations have shaped a product strategy that is designed to meet the evolving needs of modern video teams while delivering measurable business outcomes. At the heart of this strategy is a dual focus: Innovation and Quality of Experience. These two tracks will be pursued in parallel to ensure Brightcove continues to deliver meaningful improvements for all customers. Innovation efforts will: Introduce new features, including ultra-HD live streaming, a native recommendations engine, and a pilot for a native webinar and virtual event platform. Expand Brightcove's AI-powered tools, including automated metadata generation, caption generation, translation and audio dubbing in multiple languages, intelligent video clipping and reformatting to optimize for social publishing, and smart content analysis for precise advertising targeting. Meanwhile, the Quality of Experience track will: Refine the core platform through targeted initiatives, such as vertical video support, animated thumbnails, and a comprehensive UX/UI revamp to streamline workflows and enhance usability. Implement AI features, like predictive buffering and adaptive bitrate optimization, to help ensure smoother playback across devices and networks. A key enabler of this transformation is Bending Spoons' proprietary AI technology. With a proven track record that includes building fully AI-powered products like Remini, as well as integrating AI features into broader platforms such as Evernote and Meetup, Bending Spoons brings deep technical expertise and a vertically integrated stack that accelerates delivery and ensures seamless integration. These capabilities will empower Brightcove to move faster, build smarter, and deliver a more polished experience from day one. Luca Ferrari, CEO of Bending Spoons, commented: "At Brightcove, our aim is to deliver a powerful and reliable platform that is deeply aligned with the needs of modern media and enterprise users. We're enthusiastic to bring our new product strategy to life, combining customer insight with Bending Spoons' AI expertise to build a long-term strategy hand-in-hand with our customers." About Brightcove Inc. Brightcove creates the world's most reliable, scalable, and secure streaming technology solutions to build a greater connection between companies and their audiences, no matter where they are or on which devices they consume content. In more than 60 countries, Brightcove's intelligent video platform enables businesses to sell to customers more effectively, media leaders to stream and monetize content more reliably, and every organization to communicate with team members more powerfully. About Bending Spoons Bending Spoons has served a billion people across the globe through its suite of digital technology businesses, including Brightcove, Evernote, komoot, Meetup, Remini, StreamYard, and WeTransfer. Its products are currently used by around 300 million people each month.
Daily Maverick
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Make new friends and explore new hobbies in retirement
Here's a selection of activities from around South Africa to suit a variety of interests and tastes. National The Meetup app connects you to social clubs, games evenings, dances and clubs for hiking, gardening, chess and tennis in your neighbourhood. Johannesburg Activity: Art classes at the Kim Sacks School of Ceramics & Gallery Workshops. Description: Though primarily known for ceramics, Kim Sacks offers various pop-up workshops covering clay, fibre and paper. Address: 153 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood; Email: [email protected]; contact number: 067 704 3926 (office hours) or 083 377 7499 (WhatsApp for workshop info). Activity: University of the Third Age (U3A). Description: U3A offers educational and leisure activities for retired and semiretired people. Members share their knowledge and interests through a variety of courses and groups covering diverse topics, from history and literature to hobbies and current affairs. Address: 6 Randjeslaagte Rd, Highlands North, Johannesburg, 2192 (This is its administrative address; classes may be held elsewhere or online.); Email: [email protected]; contact number: Email is preferred for initial contact, but check the website for general U3A national contacts if needed. Cape Town Activity: Cape Town Swing (beginner classes and social dances). Description: Learn the joyful art of swing dancing! It's a fantastic way to stay active, meet new people and enjoy music. Address: Varies for classes and social dances (check its website for current venues); Email: [email protected]; contact number: Email is preferred. Activity: Silent Book Club – Cape Town Chapter. Description: A unique social activity for book lovers. Instead of assigned readings and formal discussions, participants gather in a relaxed setting (often cafés) to read their own books in comfortable silence, followed by optional casual chatting. Address: Various public venues (check its Meetup or social media for event locations); Email: Often managed through Meetup or direct message via social media. Website/platform: Look for 'Silent Book Club Cape Town' on or Instagram. Pretoria Activity: SANBI Pretoria National Botanical Garden. Description: The garden offers a beautiful space for walking and connecting with nature, and it has pensioner discounts for annual memberships. There are often events, educational programmes and volunteer opportunities that could appeal to gardeners. Address: 2 Cussonia Ave, Brummeria; Email: [email protected] (general SANBI queries) or [email protected]; for general information see here, or go here; Contact number: 012 002 5201 / 012 002 5200. DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
