Applications
BBC Weather launches mobile app
MUMBAI: BBC Weather has launched a mobile application for iOS and Android devices in the UK. The free app enables users to keep ahead of the weather by allowing users to take BBC Weather‘s information on-the-go.
As soon as a user opens the app it will automatically detect one‘s location and gives one an instant overview of the weather conditions wherever one is. It also gives quick access to the five day forecast with the option to look up further detail such as hourly UK forecasts, and three hourly forecasts for international locations, for the next 48 hours. One can find other destinations from the UK and abroad with a simple search and save them to a customisable list of favourite places.
The app lets one make the most of this summer‘s big events with Glastonbury, Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix all approaching. There are regular updates for the weather and other information including UV, pollen count, wind speed and humidity.
The UK pubcaster adds that the app follows an increase in users accessing BBC Weather‘s services from mobile devices over the last year, and brings the breadth of its information into a simple design. The look and feel is consistent across iOS and Android with differences, such as navigation and search, that are designed to be instantly familiar to users of each platform.
All information and data can be found in either version of the app, but Android users can also add a widget on the device‘s home screen and share favourite locations over NFC (Near-Field Communications) by simply touching two compatible devices together.
BBC Weather head Liz Howell said, “The new BBC Weather app is the perfect companion for this summer‘s great British sport and music events. We know that our audiences really want that at-a-glance forecast when they‘re out and about, with the option of digging for further detail when they need or want to. That‘s exactly what we‘ve delivered, squeezing in all of our trusted data into an app that‘s simple to use and looks fantastic.”
BBC Future Media senior product manager for Weather James Metcalfe said, “We‘re making BBC Weather truly mobile with the launch of our new app. As so many of our audiences access BBC Weather from iOS and Android devices, we can now offer them an even better way to keep ahead of the weather on-the-go. This represents a significant milestone in our commitment to provide a world-class weather service to audiences across four screens – desktop, mobile, tablet and connected TV.”
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.
