MAM
GfK to continue as ratings measurement agency in Germany
MUMBAI: The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fernsehforschung (AGF), the partnership of the TV stations ARD, ProSiebenSat.1, RTL Media Group Germany and ZDF, has commissioned GfK to continue monitoring TV viewing in Germany, initially until 2018.
The contracts are worth around €130 million.
TV usage in German households will be measured via a panel of 5,000 reporting households using the GfK TC score measurement device, which will be supplemented by the GfK UMX measurement technology based on the principle of audio-matching. These data will be made available to TV stations, their advertising sales organisations, media agencies and advertisers every single day.
In addition to the introduction of the supplementary measurement technology GfK UMX, the system includes further innovations, which future-proof television audience measurement in Germany.
For example, by doing away with conurbations – also West Berlin and East Berlin have now been com-bined as Berlin – the regional distribution of the panel households has been optimised. The process for recruiting households to replace those that leave the panel is adjusted to reflect the diverging options for receiving TV.
Households and those who inhabit them now have the option of recording their changing personal characteristics online. The measurement of TV consumption in IPTV households was also introduced a few months ago.
The absolute anonymity of the panel members, the highest data security and the quality of the audience share and market share determining the German TV market remain central to the operation of the system. GfK has been operating the TV research system in Germany for the AGF since 1985 and this is consequently the sixth successive contractual period.
Apple rarely announces minor updates with much fanfare, and iOS 26.4 is no exception. No dramatic redesigns, no flashy keynote moments. What it delivers instead is a focused set of improvements that sharpen the experience you already have. If that sounds underwhelming, spend a week with it. You will change your mind.
Apple Music Learns to Listen Better
The biggest shift in this update lives inside Apple Music. Apple has brought AI-powered playlist generation to the app, and it works on mood rather than genre. Type something like “rainy evening at home” or “running late on a Monday,” and it builds a playlist that actually fits. This is not algorithmic guesswork dressed up in new clothing. It genuinely reads the intent behind vague descriptions and responds well.
Alongside this, a new concerts feature scans your listening history and surfaces live events happening near you. It is a smart bridge between your digital music habits and real-world experiences. Apple is quietly making the case that a music app should do more than just play songs.
Shazam also gets a meaningful upgrade. It can now identify songs without an internet connection. This might sound like a minor convenience, but anyone who has tried to Shazam something at a crowded venue with patchy signal will tell you it is anything but minor. The feature works locally on-device, which also means it is faster.
CarPlay Gets Smarter Controls
CarPlay has been updated with deeper integration for intelligent voice assistants. The goal is to reduce how often drivers need to look at a screen or tap anything at all. You speak, things happen. It is a clear step toward making the driving experience safer without stripping away functionality. The integration feels natural rather than bolted on, which is a harder thing to achieve than it sounds.
The Fixes You Feel Every Day
This is where iOS 26.4 earns its keep. Keyboard responsiveness has been improved, and the difference is noticeable immediately. Typing feels more accurate and less combative. Accessibility features have been refined across the board, with better contrast options and adjusted spacing that makes the interface easier to read without forcing you into larger text sizes.
The Health app has also been updated. It now surfaces more actionable insights from your daily data rather than just displaying numbers. If your sleep patterns have shifted or your activity levels have changed, the app now contextualises that clearly instead of leaving you to interpret raw figures on your own.
These are the kinds of changes that do not photograph well for a press release. They also happen to be the ones that make your phone feel genuinely better to use.
A Few Other Additions
New emojis have been added in this update. They will find their way into your conversations faster than you expect. Family Sharing has also been updated, with more granular control over shared payments and subscriptions. If you share an Apple account with family members, this puts clearer limits on who can spend what, which has been a long-requested fix.
What This Update Actually Represents
iOS 26.4 is Apple doing what it does best when it is not trying to make headlines. Every addition here serves a clear purpose. The AI music features are genuinely useful. The CarPlay improvements address a real safety concern. The small UI fixes accumulate into a noticeably smoother daily experience.
There is no bloat. Nothing feels experimental or half-finished. That discipline is harder to maintain than it looks, especially as operating systems grow more complex with each passing year.
If you have been holding off on updating, this is the one worth installing.
