Apple Music May Get 'Hi-Fi' Audio Streaming Tier Alongside AirPods 3 Launch At WWDC

Apple alongside the planned launch of its third-generation AirPods, is also likely to launch a Hi-Fi tier to Apple Music, which will offer high-res music streaming, giving Spotify a toe to toe fight in terms of features.

Apple Music's Hi-Fi tier will bring CD-quality, lossless audio to the company’s music streaming application. While there are no details on the Apple Music Hi-Fi as of now, a report from the Hits Doubles Daily suggests that the new Hi-Fi tier will cost $9.99 (approximately INR 738) in the US, which is same as the company’s existing, standard Apple Music subscription.

The news comes days after streaming giant and arch-rivals in the space - Spotify announced its premium Hi-Fi tier, allowing music listeners to experience more depth and clarity in songs.

Now, what is Hi-Fi tier audio and how does it improve audio quality?

The full-form of Hi-Fi is High Fidelity audio, a term many people are familiar with. High Fidelity audio inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat frequency response within the human hearing range. It is different from stereo quality, which records or reproduces sound that uses two channels - each playing a portion of original sound in a way to create the illusion of locating the sound at a particular position.

Hi-Fi audio is considered superior over other formats as it offers a full range of audible frequencies with very little distortion of the original signal. Currently, Apple Music does not offer a high-resolution audio tier. The new Apple Music Hi-Fi tier will compete with other services that offer lossless audio quality like Amazon Music, Spotify, Tidal, and more.

According to the latest report, Apple is planning to announce the new HiFi tier and the AirPods 3 in the 'coming weeks.' The next big thing from Apple is its WWDC event on 7th June. Henceforth, Apple could potentially announce the new quality standard and its third-generation AirPods at the conference.

Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball? Who Do Fans Really Want?

Film and TV fans got a surprise casting reveal on Friday as Nicole Kidman was photographed in costume by paparazzi while filming the Lucille Ball biopic—complete with the famous red hairdo.

Being the Ricardos is currently in production, lead by Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and speculation surrounding its casting has been going on for months, with a number of A-listers reportedly attached to the project.

Kidman and Javier Bardem are starring as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in the film which will follow the famous couple during a chaotic time in their life and relationship.

The two actors have been photographed on set in Los Angeles which has led to controversy online as fans question the casting choice for the late I Love Lucy comedian.

"Nicole Kidman definitely isn't giving me Lucille Ball vibes," reads one tweet.

While another person added: "Listen, I love Nicole Kidman and wish her the best in this project but... let's not go overboard."

"Nicole Kidman is the best actress of her generation. One of my all-time favorites. I would literally put her in every movie, tv-show, etc. But her being cast as Lucille Ball is...not it," tweeted another.

This Grandmother Scared Robber Away Thanks To This Device

Violent crime is rising against seniors and women, and authorities are urging residents to carry a simple new safety device that can thwart even the most vicious of attackers.

It was supposed to be a normal day of shopping for 76-year-old Donna Mason, but instead, her shopping trip took a terrifying turn.

"I was walking to my car, which was parked pretty close to the store" she remembers, "but I had an odd feeling – like I was being watched.”

Her instincts were spot on – she was being watched. And targeted. In the middle of the day, no less.

Right when she was unlocking her car, a man came up behind her and tried to grab her.

"He told me ‘just give me your purse and I won’t hurt you!' and he reached for my purse. I was terrified, but I guess my instincts took over, and I yelled and pulled the pin on my alarm”

"The SafeAlarm immediately went off, with the loudest alarm ever. I mean, it was SUPER LOUD. It must have surprised him, because he stumbled backwards and ran like hell. Then other people who heard the alarm ran over to see what the commotion was.”

Donna was lucky. She was carrying a small personal alarm that might have saved her life. But not everyone is as lucky.

There has been a dramatic increase in attacks, especially against seniors. And as the economy worsens, criminals are getting more and more brazen. Remember, Donna was attacked close to the store, in broad daylight.

"The trend is both clear and troubling – violent crime is rising, especially against our most vulnerable citizens, like seniors. Authorities recommend that everyone carry a small personal alarm that can draw attention and scare attackers"

Donna had been given a SafeAlarm by her daughter about a month before. She carried it on her purse, but didn’t think she’d ever need to use it.

“Since my daughter bought it for me, I figured I’d carry it, even though I never thought I’d need it. I am so thankful I had this little alarm. I’m 76, and have never been a crime victim, so when it happens to you, it’s almost a feeling of disbelief.”

"After my attack, I bought 6 SafeAlarms for my friends at the senior center. Because now I know how easy you can be targeted, even in a crowded parking lot in daytime” .

What Is A SafeAlarm?

Imagine a tiny alarm that’s super simple to use, and has the loudest sound ever. That’s the SafeAlarm.

It’s a personal alarm that has a piercing 120db sound, and is activated simply by pulling a pin. It scares attackers and attracts volumes of attention.

By the way, how loud is 120DB? It’s like a military jet taking off. LOUD.

The design is really good too. Instead of a button that can accidentally be pressed, SafeAlarm uses a pull-pin. So it’s easy to use, but won’t go off by accident. And once it’s pulled, it immediately emits its 120db siren, and will continue to shriek for 30 minutes, or until the pin is put back.

SafeAlarm Was Born From Tragedy

Mark Adams, the inventor of SafeAlarm, says the idea for the product came after hearing about a recent attempted kidnapping in his hometown of San Diego.

“I was watching the news, and saw where a child was almost kidnapped in a Costco parking lot, during the middle of the day” said Adams.

“Fortunately, this particular kidnapping failed because the father was alert and made a big commotion. But it really hit home for me because it was right down the road, and my own daughter is 13 and is just starting to hang out with friends without adults being around. I could not imagine how I would feel if she was kidnapped.”

He couldn’t get the story out of his mind, so he did some research. He found that thousands of children go missing every year, many of which are never found again.

But he also found that noise is the #1 deterrent to attempted kidnappings and violent crime.

"Authorities say successful kidnappings happen when they can keep the victim from making noise, which is easy to do if someone strong covers their mouth. So making noise some other way is crucial to someone’s safety.”

Mark knew what he wanted. “I had two goals - to make a small device that was easy to use, and to make it as loud as possible.”

The best part about SafeAlarm is it can be carried and used by anyone, and is useful in almost any dangerous situation.

Mark explains "Obviously, it’s great for parents to give to their kids to prevent strangers from harming or even abducting them. But it’s also great for women, seniors… anyone. Hey, I carry one myself now.”

Mark has been thanked by people who have used SafeAlarm to prevent a tragedy. “I like hearing that” he says, “but I also wish I came up with this earlier. Maybe some of these missing kids that I read about wouldn’t be missing.”

Jay-Z Called Out Cancel Culture

“You can’t give someone a microphone for 24 hours a day and [have them] not think they have to use it,” Jay-Z told The Sunday Times.

Legendary rapper Jay-Z did a rare interview with the England’s Sunday Times style section in which he talked about how his family navigated the coronavirus pandemic, among other subjects.

The 51-year-old rap icon was asked if he thought cancel culture would end anytime soon.

“These kids, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “Imagine having a microphone, and you’re asked about social justice questions at 18 years old? It’s like, ‘What? I’m meant to know the answer, and if I don’t answer the correct way, if I don’t say everything right, even if my intentions are right, and I don’t say the same right thing, it’s going to be everywhere.’”

The rapper’s reference to social media is aligned with how he uses the platforms: He has a Twitter account he rarely uses and has only occasionally popped up on Instagram.

Kirk and Anne Douglas—Hollywood's Greatest Romance

Anne Douglas, the wife of the late Kirk Douglas, has died at the age of 102, a year after her husband passed away last February at 103.

Married for 66 years, the couple's love story was highly celebrated and immortalized in their enduring love letters.

"Anne was more than a stepmother, and never 'wicked,'" actor and stepson Michael Douglas said in a statement following Anne Douglas' death on Thursday. "She brought out the best in all of us, especially our father. Dad would never have had the career he did without Anne's support and partnership. Catherine and I and the children adored her; she will always be in our hearts." (per Variety)

Anne Buydens and Kirk met in 1953 when he offered her a job as his publicist while in Paris to film Act of Love.

Their early days of courtship are said to have taken persistence on the part of the Spartacus actor but they ended up tying the knot in Las Vegas in May 1954.

In 2017, the couple wrote a joint autobiography on how their love conquered many obstacles titled Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter, and a Lifetime in Hollywood.

The book contains several candid letters the couple sent each other during their courtship and marriage.

"Darling," Kirk wrote when they were dating, after a fight. "I have a feeling you're not coming back tonight. I hope I'm wrong! It's been a bad day for me and probably a worse one for you ... but I hope that you are here to read this and that I find you when I get back. Suddenly it seems stupid that I am going to dinner without you—Because believe it or not I love you!"

In another letter, following a period of separation, Anne wrote: "My Darling, Every moment we spent together is still so very much alive. I am awfully lonely without you. Sweetheart, write to me, call me, come over. I want to be close to you. I want to be loved and loved—and loved again! Please, I need it. A."

Before they were engaged and Anne moved to America, Kirk wrote: "Darling. Now more than ever do I need the love you might hold in your heart for me. To say I miss you seems so inadequate. I have been dating very little . . . Come to me, Darling. My heart is empty and I need you near. K."

After their wedding in Las Vegas, Anne wrote: "Darling Isidor! [His real name] Mon cheri, are we really married? I can't realize it. How did I do this?

"Do you think God felt that I really deserved you and that He wanted to give me the greatest gift you can give a woman—the man she loves with all her heart?

"Because, my Darling, I really, sincerely have the most wonderful feelings for you and I want so much to make you happy! I have so many more words to tell you this again and again that I hope it will take our lifetime before you get tired of it! Stolz."

Douglas is survived by children Peter, Michael and Joel and daughters-in-law Catherine and Lisa, as well as grandchildren Cameron, Dylan, Carys, Kelsey, Tyler, Jason and Ryan and great-grandchildren Lua Izzy and Ryder and a sister, Merle Werbke.