Applications
Microsoft adds copyrighted works to Live search
MUMBAI: Microsoft has added copyrighted books to its online library, Windows Live Search, saying it has permission to offer the works to searchers on the Internet. It has made deals with authors and publishing houses to include their works in the Live Search Books index. Live Search Books (in beta) carries out a full-text search and generates a results list showing title, author, year of publication and a snippet containing the search terms. Microsoft thus has leapfrogged over the controversy triggered by Google‘s plan to offer the world‘s written works online. In a posting on the Washington-based website, Live Search program manager Betsy Aoki said, “We have paid particular attention to ensuring that we are only including books in our index that our publishing partners have given us permission to include. So our customers and partners can feel secure in our stance on copyright protection.” Publishers like Cambridge University Press, McGraw-Hill Companies, Rodale and Simon and Schuster are listed on the library adding their books to Microsoft‘s virtual shelves. Publishers get to decide what percentage of a copyrighted book Microsoft can show to users. If a user decides to buy a book, Microsoft will offer links to external sites selling it, such as online retailers like Amazon.com Inc. or publisher Web stores. |
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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.
