Applications
Google reveals most popular searches and events
MUMBAI: Google has released its Annual Zeitgeist report that represents an aggregation of billions of search terms that people have typed into the company‘s search engine in 2010.
According to the report, Chatroulette, iPad, Justin Bieber and Masterchef were the three fastest-rising search terms in 2010, while Twitter came in eighth and Facebook was tenth.
The top five most searched events were Football World Cup South Africa, Olympics Canada, Haiti Earthquake, Gulf of Mexico oil spill and volcanic ash cloud above Iceland while swine flu, new Moon, Susan Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire and Michael Jackson were some of the fastest falling.
IRCTC login, Micromax mobile and YouTube videos were the top three searches from India. Facebook seems to be doing very well in the country capturing second position in the most popular category, while songs topped the list and Google came in third.
The top three rising people were Aruna Shields, Sonakshi Sinha and Zarine Khan. Shakira and Lady Gagawere were the only two non-Indians in this list.
The top four most popular brands were from the mobile industry. Notably, Micromax, the fourth most popular brand, was the second fastest rising entity. Nokia and Airtel who were at number one and number three respectively in the most popular brands category couldn’t find their place in the fastest rising category.
Interestingly enough, for India, the country with one of the highest population, the most popular ‘how to’ search was “how to get pregnant.”
In the most popular movies category, Kites came in first followed by Endhiran or Robot and Dabangg. Harry Potter and Twilight were the two non-Indian films at number five and number nine respectively.
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.
