Applications
NDS develops Asia’s first bookable promo service
MUMBAI: NDS, which provides technology solutions for digital pay-TV, has developed the first bookable promo service in Asia for Australian subscription television provider Foxtel.
While watching a trailer for a show, viewers will now be able to book to record the show to their DVR by pressing the green button on their remote control.
With the press of a button, subscribers will be able to book to record movies, individual programmes, or an entire series, immediately or weeks in advance. This user-friendly feature can also be used during an ad break to allow viewers to receive more details about a specific advertisement by expressing interest with the same button press.
NDS has also provided Foxtel with the XTV open infrastructure, an extended version of NDS XTV DVR technology that gives operators the flexibility to launch applications that directly access DVR functionality.
iSuggest is the first Foxtel application that is based on the XTV open infrastructure. As a visual recommendation service, iSuggest presents TV show and movie posters in the subscriber’s personalised viewing gallery, making it easy for viewers to browse, select and record programmes directly into their planner.
Foxtel’s director of engineering Peter Smart said, “The launch of these solutions in Asia has been made possible thanks to NDS’ experience in advanced DVR solutions combined with its systems integration expertise. FOXTEL continually invests and innovates for the benefit of our subscribers, enhancing their TV viewing experience.”
NDS Australia GM Peter Iles says, “We have worked with FoxtelL since the launch of its first DVR in 2005. This latest collaboration, which provides cutting-edge services, reaffirms Foxtel’s position as an innovator in the provision of advanced digital pay-TV services in the region.”
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.
