Mediaboss Marketing

October 18, 2021

PRESS RELEASE

Introducing the next generation of AirPods: The worlds most popular wireless headphones just got better

The new AirPods feature spatial audio and industry-leading sound, longer battery life, and an all-new design

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIAApple today announced the third generation of AirPods featuring spatial audio, delivering advanced features and a magical experience in a new contoured design. By combining the power of the H1 chip with an Apple-designed acoustic system, the new AirPods use computational audio to deliver breakthrough sound with Adaptive EQ. Users can enjoy spatial audio featuring Dolby Atmos in Apple Music, movies, and tv shows, along with dynamic head tracking, across Apple devices. The new AirPods are resistant to sweat and water, and feature a force sensor for easy and intuitive control of music and phone calls. The extended battery life enables up to six hours of listening time1 and up to 30 hours of total listening time with the convenient charging case. AirPods (3rd generation) join the worlds most popular family of headphones and are available to order starting today, and in stores beginning Tuesday, October 26.

AirPods forever changed wireless headphones with their groundbreaking design, incredible sound, and magical experience, said Greg Joswiak, Apples senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. We are excited to introduce the next generation of AirPods, featuring unrivaled sound through Adaptive EQ and spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, along with seamless interaction between Apple devices making the worlds best-selling headphones even better.

All-New Design

The new design of AirPods is lightweight and contoured, sitting at just the right angle for comfort and to direct audio into the ear. For a more subtle appearance, the stem is shorter than the previous generation and features the same intuitive force sensor as AirPods Pro for media control. The new AirPods are resistant to both sweat and water, with an IPX4 rating for both the earbuds and the charging case.2

Breakthrough Audio Features

AirPods (3rd generation) build on the great sound quality that AirPods are known for, starting with a custom driver and a high dynamic range amplifier that together produce powerful bass with crisp, clean high frequencies. The microphone is covered by an acoustic mesh to help reduce the sound of wind, so the speakers voice comes across distinctly on calls. AirPods also feature AAC-ELD, a superior speech codec that offers full HD voice quality, providing clear, natural communication for FaceTime calls.

The new AirPods use computational audio to bring the breakthrough experiences that customers love on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max like Adaptive EQ and spatial audio with dynamic head tracking to even more people.

For an optimal listening experience with rich detail, the new AirPods feature Adaptive EQ that tunes sound in real time based on how AirPods fit in the users ear. An inward-facing microphone monitors for sound, and then Adaptive EQ, powered by computational audio, tunes the low and mid frequencies to account for what may be lost due to variances in fit.

Spatial audio creates a three-dimensional theater-like experience, placing sound virtually anywhere in space, and with Dolby Atmos, AirPods have never sounded better. Users can also enjoy this multi-level experience with dynamic head tracking, so music, video, and even Group FaceTime calls feel more immersive than ever before. Using advanced spatial audio algorithms, and by applying directional audio filters to subtly adjust the frequencies that each ear receives, the new AirPods can place sound all around the user.

Magical Experience

With one-touch setup that automatically pairs AirPods with other Apple devices, users can effortlessly enjoy music throughout the day. Audio Sharing allows listeners to share the audio stream between two sets of AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max, while using iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV.

A new skin-detect sensor accurately discerns if AirPods are in the ear versus in a pocket or on a table and pauses playback when removed. To help with sound clarity, beamforming microphones block out ambient noise and focus on the users voice, while users can also enjoy a hands-free experience by simply saying Hey Siri for requests.

Longer Battery Life

AirPods (3rd generation) offer an extra hour of battery life over the previous generations, with up to six hours of listening time and up to four hours of talk time. Just five minutes of charging provides about an hour of battery life, and with four additional charges in the case, users can get up to 30 hours of total listening time.3 AirPods are now also part of the MagSafe ecosystem for convenient wireless charging.

AirPods with iOS and iPadOS

AirPods offer exceptional convenience and sound quality, and with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, users can enjoy the following features:

Apple and the Environment

AirPods are designed with numerous materials and features to reduce their environmental impact, including the 100 percent recycled rare earth elements used in all magnets. The case also uses 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board, and 100 percent recycled aluminum in the hinge. AirPods are also free of potentially harmful substances such as mercury, BFRs, PVC, and beryllium. For energy efficiency, AirPods meet US Department of Energy requirements for battery charger systems. Apples Zero Waste program helps suppliers eliminate waste sent to landfills, and all final assembly supplier sites are transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy for Apple production. In the packaging, 100 percent of the virgin wood fiber comes from responsibly managed forests.

Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations, and by 2030, plans to have net-zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles. This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will be 100 percent carbon neutral.

Pricing and Availability

About Apple

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apples five software platforms iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apples more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Press Contacts

Lance Lin

Apple

lance_lin@apple.com

(408) 974-5036

Nikki Rothberg

Apple

nrothberg@apple.com

(408) 974-4427

Apple Media Helpline

media.help@apple.com

(408) 974-2042

See the original post here:
Introducing the next generation of AirPods - Apple Newsroom

Police will have to check someones medical history before giving them a firearms licence and should also scour their social media history, under new rules issued by government after the Plymouth gun attack.

Jake Davison shot dead five people before killing himself after the attack in August.

He discussed his mental health online and his social media showed misogynistic views. He also described himself as an involuntary celibate, or incel.

The new statutory guidance will mean doctors agreeing to pass on health concerns to police before a licence is issued, when it is renewed five years later, and to flag any concerns that emerge in between that may represent a threat to public safety.

Those applying for a licence will have to agree to their confidential information being shared as a condition of getting permission to hold a firearm.

The statutory guidance comes from the Home Office, and police will be expected to follow it. They will also be asked to check any history of domestic violence and financial worries.

There has been a longstanding reluctance by doctors to hand over confidential medical information about patients for fear it would deter them from seeking help. Talks after the massacre have led to an agreement between the government, doctors and police.

Davison, 22, shot dead his mother, a three-year-old girl and three other people on 12 August. He used a gun he had held a licence for since 2017. It was taken away after he got into a fight in September 2020, only to be returned by police weeks before the killings.

It emerged that he had engaged with extremist ideology including the incel movement. The renewed focus on gun laws unearthed concerns about the checks police carried out and inconsistencies between forces.

Some forces would check social media histories of applicants while others would not.

A Home Office spokesperson said that members of the public could also trigger a review of someone who had a firearms licence if they had concerns.

Priti Patel, the home secretary, said: The UK has some of the toughest firearms laws in world, but we must never become complacent about these high standards.

This new guidance prioritises public safety above all else and we have taken considerable care to ensure it is comprehensive and enforceable, having worked closely with the medical, policing and shooting sectors.

Dr Mark Sanford-Wood, of the British Medical Association, said: Firearms must be in the hands of only those who are deemed safe and responsible.

This guidance states that doctors are responsible for providing medical evidence, with the police force making the final judgment on the issuing of the firearms licence. Our close collaborative working with the National Police Chiefs Council has resulted in unilateral agreement on this point.

Existing checks will ontinue to be carried out, including on criminal convictions, domestic turmoil, dishonesty or out-of-control debt.

The Home Office on Wednesday also announced new police powers against unauthorised encampments, which is being widely seen as a crackdown on Traveller communities.

Those committing intentional trespass and occupying land that, for instance, stops local residents using school sports fields, parks and car parks, will commit a criminal offence if they refuse to move when ordered to do so. An offence, says new guidance, is committed if the environment is damaged, including excessive littering, fly tipping, excessive noise and smells from waste or smoke due to bonfires.

The guidance says: The unauthorised encampments provisions do not seek to lead to action against rough sleepers, nor to those looking to access the countryside for leisure, such as ramblers and other groups, providing they do not meet the conditions for the offence.

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Police to check medical and social media history before issuing gun licences - The Guardian

Could Alexa kill the radio star? The government is considering introducing legislation to ensure that Amazon and other tech companies do not abuse their growing power over UK airwaves.

Millions of Britons have bought voice-controlled devices in recent years, principally Amazons Echo and Googles Assistant. Most are used for listening to audio, with many households using them as replacements for traditional standalone radio sets in kitchens and bedrooms.

British radio broadcasters including the BBC and the main commercial radio groups now fear they have inadvertently handed control over their output to large technology companies who make smart speakers. They fear the US-based technology companies will hoard data on users listening habits, could be tempted to slip their own adverts into radio broadcasts, and may ultimately make it harder to find UK-produced content.

The BBC is particularly concerned by research suggesting that when BBC material is consumed through a smart speaker or other third party device, audiences are substantially less likely to mentally associate it with the BBC. This has potentially enormous implications for the future of the licence fee and convincing audiences to pay for the BBC in the future.

The government-commissioned digital radio and audio review, which asked industry voices for their views on the future of radio, has now asked the government to propose legislation to force Amazon and other companies to carry UK radio services on a free-to-air basis. A similar lobbying battle is currently being fought by UK television channels to secure so-called prominence on the home screens of modern television sets.

Radio stations also want a law to prohibit technology companies from inserting their own advertisements without the radio broadcasters consent, as well as legislation requiring car manufacturers to continue to prominently display radio stations on car dashboards.

The newly appointed media minister, Julia Lopez, said the government would reflect on the findings and consider new rules to protect the future of the British radio industry as part of forthcoming broadcasting regulation.

The radio report also concluded that FM radio services should be maintained in the UK until 2030, 15 years later than originally planned. The analogue signal serves some rural areas that are not reached by digital broadcasts and is still popular with older people and for local and community stations.

However, the writing is on the wall for medium-wave broadcasting, even though 6.5million adults still use AM signals to listen to stations such as BBC 5Live, talkSport, and Absolute Radio every week. The report concluded that the gradual turning-off of medium-wave broadcasts should accelerate in the next few years.

The British radio industry is facing a demographic timebomb. In the new report, it has renewed calls to scrap regulations that limit the ability to rebrand stations and change formats, as well as asking for continued government financial support for the Audio Content Fund to produce material for under-served audiences.

Though overall radio listenership remains high, it is much lower among younger listeners and people from ethnic minority backgrounds, many of whom feel they are not represented by existing stations and are instead switching to podcasts and streaming music services.

Read more here:
Radio industry calls for government protection from smart assistants - The Guardian

FORT WORTH, Texas A scared kitten is now safe, thanks to a few Texas police and animal control officers.

>> Read more trending news

According to KTVT, Fort Worth police took to Facebook on Friday to share a video of authorities saving a small, tabby-and-white cat from a grate next to Interstate 20.

This little kitten was rescued from the shoulder of eastbound Interstate 20, near the Trail Lake Drive exit, the department captioned the post. Officers and Animal Control brought the little kitten to safety, and he is now in good hands at the Chuck Silcox Animal Care & Control Center. What do you think we should name him?

>> Watch the video here

This little kitten was rescued from the shoulder of eastbound Interstate 20, near the Trail Lake Drive exit. Officers and Animal Control brought the little kitten to safety and he is now in good hands at the Chuck Silcox Animal Care & Control Center.What do you think we should name him?

The video quickly went viral, racking up more than 52,000 views and 1,500 reactions by Tuesday morning.

Its so heartwarming to see one of our animal control officers and FWPD working together to save this tiny kitten! Fort Worth Animal Care & Control wrote in its own Facebook post. So much kindness.

Read more here or here.

2021 Cox Media Group

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WATCH: Officers rescue kitten from Texas freeway in heartwarming video - ActionNewsJax.com

ADDIS ABABA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The Ethiopian government carried out a second air strike within hours on the Tigray region on Wednesday, significantly escalating a campaign to weaken rebellious Tigrayan forces in an almost one-year-old war.

The second strike was in Agbe in the Temben region some 80 km (50 miles) west of the regional capital Mekelle, targeting a military training centre and heavy artillery depot, government spokesperson Legesse Tulu said.

That came after a morning air strike in Mekelle, the third this week. Tigrai Television said the attack targeted the centre of the city whilethe Addis Ababa government said it targeted buildings where Tigrayan forces were repairing armaments.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has "been adept at hiding munitions and heavy artillery in places of worship and using ordinary Tigrayans as a human shield", Legesse said.

Two witnesses and a humanitarian source in Mekelle told Reuters that the morning strike appeared to have targeted Mesfin Industrial Engineering PLC, a factory complex which the government believes supports the TPLF.

TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael, referring to government forces, said: "They are desperate on the war front. My interpretation is they are bombing us because they are losing on the ground and its their reprisal. The fact that they are bombing shows they dont care about Tigrayan civilians."

Speaking to Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location, Gebremichael said the strike did not hit the engineering complex, rather another private company compound, but he had no further details.

Nine civilians, including a five-year-old child, were being treated at Ayder Referral Hospital for injuries sustained in the strike, according to TPLF-run Tigrai Television.

The blast shattered the windows of Mekelle General Hospital, about one kilometre away from Mesfin Industrial, and damaged nearby homes, said a doctor at the hospital. It had received five wounded people, he said.

"Four of them were factory employees and the fifth one is a lady whose lives near the factory. Her house was destroyed by the air strike," the doctor said.

Tigrai Television posted photographs of what appeared to be plumes of billowing smoke. Reuters geolocated the images to Mekelle.

Captive Ethiopian army soldiers get their water ration in a prison in the outskirts of Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, Ethiopia, July 7, 2021. REUTERS/Giulia Paravicini/File Photo

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The two sides have been fighting for almost a year in a conflict that has killed thousands of people and displaced more than two million amid a power struggle between the TPLF, which controls the northern region, and the central government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa.

The TPLF dominated the Horn of Africa country's ruling party for decades before Abiy, who is not a Tigrayan, took office in 2018.

CONTROL OF THE SKIES

Mesfin Industrial Engineering is an equipment manufacturer and car and truck assembly plant that was part of EFFORT, a TPLF-owned conglomerate.

After war broke out last November, the government froze the company's bank accounts, saying there was evidence that it was supporting the TPLF. The company could not be reached for comment. Most communications in Mekelle are down.

Mekelle was also hit by two air strikeson Monday. The TPLF accused the government of launching the attacks. A government official initially denied the accusation but state media later reported the air force had conducted a strike.

The attacks follow intensified fighting in two other northern regions where the military is trying to recover territory taken by the TPLF, which recaptured Mekelle and most of the rest of Tigray several months ago.

In July, the TPLF pushed into the two other regions, Amhara and Afar, and several hundred thousand more people fled their homes, according to the United Nations.

Last week, after the TPLF said the military had started an offensive in Amhara, the military said that the TPLF had "opened war on all fronts", and thatgovernment forces were inflicting heavy casualties.

"The federal air strikes on Mekelle appear to be part of efforts to weaken Tigrays armed resistance, which has recently made further gains in eastern Amhara region, with fighting ongoing in some areas," said Will Davison, a senior analyst on Ethiopia at the International Crisis Group think-tank.

"Along with superior manpower, control of the skies is one of the few remaining areas of military advantage for the federal government," Davison said.

Reporting by Addis Ababa newsroom with additional reporting by George Sargent in London and Nairobi newsroom; writing by Maggie Fick; editing by Nick Macfie, Angus MacSwan and Mark Heinrich

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Ethiopia conducts two air strikes on Tigray within hours, war escalates - Reuters