Applications
BBC to launch HD Sound for radio
MUMBAI: BBC has announced plans to launch an extra high quality audio stream for live online listening, called HD Sound.
From December, BBC Radio 3 will be available in HD Sound through its website and special events on other networks will also be offered in extra high quality – starting with the Electric Proms on BBC Radio 2 later this month.
HD Sound, the UK pubcaster says, uses improved encoding and higher bit rates to offer the BBC‘s highest audio quality broadcast to date. It also offers a wider dynamic range, accentuating the difference in volume between quiet and loud sounds.
Appreciation of the improved sound quality will depend on the equipment used – those using small speakers built into a laptop may not notice a big difference, but listeners with a computer connected to a good-quality sound system or high-quality headphones should be able to appreciate the extra clarity and detail in the sound.
In these early stages, the stream will only be available for live programmes (not on demand). It will initially be available through pages on radio networks‘ websites and special event sites, although the ambition is to integrate HD Sound into iPlayer and Radioplayer as the technology develops.
BBC Audio and Music director Tim Davie says, “HD Sound is an exciting development and a signal of our commitment to innovate in digital radio for the benefit of our listeners.”
HD Sound will be available to UK users following a successful trial of the technology during the BBC Proms.
Findings from this first experiment have also allowed Radio 3 to increase the audio quality of the standard stream on iPlayer by optimising the level of the signals feeding the coders.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
