Where Australia’s meetup groups rank globally; Meet the startup giving gamers a more immersive VR experience; That Startup Show goes on the road

HOME | ADVERTISE | CONTACT US Dear StartupSmart reader, Sydney and Melbourne are in the top 10 cities outside the US for meetup groups, with Brisbane and Auckland also in the top 20,according to figures from US data analytics firm RJMetrics. An Australian tech company called The Realm has created a new motion tracking control system with force feedback that co-founder Matt Long says will give gamers a more immersive experience. Productivity Commission roundtable: how can regulatory reform help Australia’s early stage startups?  That Startup Show is set to go on the road across Australia with a series of PitchClub for Startups workshops designed to help founders hone their pitching skills. When Marita Cheng realised that she was just one of five female students in her 50 strong electrical engineering degree, she knew something had to be done. So she founded Robogals, a not-for-profit that encourages women to get into engineering, science and technology. The metadata retention debate is heating up with Prime Minister Tony Abbott telling us the cost of not going ahead with compulsory retention of metadata will be incalculable and will represent a form of unilateral disarmament in the face of criminals. Like much of the internet HTTP has been around for decades, but a recent announcement reveals that HTTP/2, the first major update in 15 years, is about to arrive. Malware infecting hard disk firmware remained hidden for 15 years – but who’s responsible? Kye White, Editor Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane among the world’s most vibrant startup event scenes: Survey by Andrew Sadauskas Sydney and Melbourne are in the top 10 cities outside the US for meetup groups, with Brisbane and Auckland also in the top 20, according to figures from US data analytics firm RJMetrics. VIEW ALL NEWS Productivity Commission roundtable: how can regulatory reform help Australia’s early stage startups?  by Sophie Hose Incentives through the tax system to encourage founders and investors will help shift our risk profile where truly disruptive ideas that challenge our regulatory framework might get funded. A new force in gaming? Controls combine virtual reality with exercise, motion tracking and resistance by Andrew Sadauskas An Australian tech startup called The Realm has created a new motion tracking control system with force feedback that co-founder Matt Long says will give gamers a more immersive experience – along with a calorie-burning workout. That Startup Show prepares pitching workshops  by Andrew Sadauskas That Startup Show is set to go on the road across Australia with a series of PitchClub for Startups workshops designed to help founders hone their pitching skills. Robogals are go! Program aims to get more girls into STEM   by Eisha Gupta When Marita Cheng realised that she was just one of five female students in her 50 strong electrical engineering degree, she knew something had to be done. THE NEWS WRAP: Snapchat urges teens not to send nudes by Broede Carmody Popular photo-sharing app Snapchat has urged teenage users not to send nude pictures or videos to one another. READ MORE Malware infecting hard disk firmware remained hidden for 15 years – but who’s responsible? by Alan Woodward It sometimes seems that whenever security researchers discover some new exploit or malware that allows the monitoring of remote computers, the finger is quickly pointed at the US intelligence agencies. READ MORE How much will Australia’s metadata retention plan really cost? by Philip Branch The metadata retention debate is heating up with Prime Minister Tony Abbott telling us the cost of not going ahead with compulsory retention of metadata will be incalculable and will represent a form of unilateral disarmament in the face of criminals. READ MORE Upgrade to core HTTP promises speedier, easier web  by Peter Maynard Like much of the internet HTTP has been around for decades, but a recent announcement reveals that HTTP/2, the first major update in 15 years, is about to arrive. READ MORE