Applications
Microsoft adds file, photo sharing on Windows Live
MUMBAI: Microsoft has added a downloadable photo sharing and a web-based file sharing service on its Windows Live application suite and has announced plans to launch more offerings this year as part of its internet strategy. |
With the bid to take on competitors Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. using its ‘software plus services‘ strategy, it aims to leverage its dominant market position for software running on the computer to a new suite of services delivered over the internet. Microsoft already offers over a dozen online services in beta version including e-mail and Web search under its Windows Live brand. According to the latest announcement, it will introduce test versions of two new free services: Windows Live Folders and Windows Live Photo Gallery. Windows Live Photo Gallery is the new version of the photo application operating systems, Windows XP and Windows Vista. It simplifies photo sharing on their Windows Live Spaces site, Microsoft‘s social networking platform. |
Windows Live folders will provide up to 500 MB of online storage in US in a limited test release. Usage will be gauged during the test release and it will add more capacity if required. Users can share documents using these folders but not necesasarily back-up their hard-drive. Meanwhile, Google still remains mum on its plans for an online storage device. However, they already offer services that provide exhaustive data storage, including Gmail and Docs and Spreadsheets. |
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.
