Applications
Microsoft announces a new xBox 360 experience
MUMBAI: US software major Microsoft has announced the launch of an all-new Xbox 360 experience including the first group of new, custom applications from world leading TV and entertainment content providers on Xbox LIVE.
Microsoft president of the Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick said, “A new era in entertainment begins where all your entertainment is together in one place – your games, movies, TV shows, music and sports. With this update, Xbox 360 system owners will experience Kinect voice control integrated with Bing search, making your TV and entertainment experiences more social and personal than ever.”
Forrester Research‘s James McQuivey said, “Microsoft has just built and delivered it: A single box that ties together all the content you want, made easily accessible through a universal, natural, voice-directed search. This is now the benchmark against which all other living room initiatives should be compared. With more than 57 million people worldwide already sitting on a box that‘s about to be upgraded for free, Microsoft has not only built the right experience, it has ensured that it will spread quickly and with devastating effect.”
Microsoft says that for consumers finding entertainment is easier than ever. Last year, Kinect for Xbox 360 revolutionised controller-free entertainment by letting consumers use their body and voice to play games and entertainment, turning them into the controller. Kinect combined with the intelligence of Bing search is turning the consumer‘s voice into the ultimate remote control. With Bing on Xbox, consumers can use their voice to find the games, movies, TV shows and music and discover the best offerings on Xbox Live, by simply saying what one is searching for. Bing on Xbox voice search will initially be available in English in the US, Canada and the UK for Zune video, Xbox Live Marketplace and select content partners. For those who do not have a Kinect for Xbox 360, text search will be available in Xbox LIVE markets.
For the holiday season in addition to offering the best blockbuster and Kinect games, Xbox 360 consoles will deliver live and on-demand TV shows, movies, videos, sports, music and news. TV and movie fans can instantly stream their favorite episodes of current television shows all season long, as well as past favorites and new-release movies.
Xbox 360 is building on its catalogue of movies, sports, television and music available through Hulu Plus, Last.fm, Netflix, Zune music and video and ESPN, as well as on its existing lineup of great TV providers, such as AT&T U-verse TV in the US, Telus in Canada, BSkyB in the UK, Canal+ in France, Vodafone Portugal, VimpelCom in Russia and Foxtel in Australia, by also now rolling out new entertainment partners and apps.
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.
