Applications
Qualcomm unveils Smartbook applications for TV viewing
MUMBAI: Qualcomm will offer previews of forthcoming Flo -enabled smartbook applications at the GSMA Mobile World Congress.
The applications unite live TV viewing with real-time Web content, social networking capabilities and personalised digital media stored on the device that can be accessed at anytime.
Running on Snapdragon-enabled smartbook devices, the applications are designed to deliver powerful new consumer entertainment experiences. The technology combines live mobile TV programming with personalised, real-time streaming data and access to social networking sites like Twitter, along with additional content, such as video clips and e-magazines.
The new smartbook applications illustrate Qualcomm’s vision for the future of broadcast mobile media and allow consumers to receive rich, relevant content while watching their favorite programs and simultaneously connecting with other people that share similar interests. For instance, sports fans watching a live match can receive real-time data streams about athletes and team stats while also engaging with fans around the world watching the same event.
Among the applications that are being broadcast over Flo technology are:
• Live Twitter Feed, allowing consumers to watch a live TV channel while monitoring a contextual Twitter feed
• Local Buzz, a real-time aggregated Web feed personalised by location, which shows news, weather, traffic and other topics of local relevance
• Live breaking news dynamically refreshed throughout the day
• Sportscast, offering live sporting events while gaining access to player and team statistics and relevant sports video clips delivered over broadcast
• Video-on-Demand Carousel, featuring an array of video clips delivered and stored on smartbook devices that can be selected and viewed anytime
• Library, a catalogue of e-magazines cached and ready to view where and when the consumer wants
Qualcomm CDMA Technologies senior VP of product management Luis Pineda says, “Snapdragon-based devices with their long battery life and advanced 3G connectivity are changing the way consumers access mobile content and entertainment. Combining the strengths of Flo mobile broadcast technology with our chip platform makes for a powerful and addictive connected entertainment experience for consumers and helps us to clearly differentiate and rise above competitive mobile entertainment solutions.”
Another first-time demonstration will feature a Windows-based portable computer with the Zinio Reader application. The interactive digital magazine demonstration will showcase how FLO technology can be employed for the broadcast delivery of data-intensive multimedia files.
Digital magazines are delivered over a dedicated Flo network and stored on the mobile device for a convenient, optimized reading experience. As a dedicated mobile broadcast technology, FLO technology is ideally suited to offload data traffic from 3G networks or to deliver other types of data to large audiences, thereby freeing 3G networks to support more voice traffic and other revenue services.
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.
