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New Medium Enterprises comes out with HD VMD player
MUMBAI: New Medium Enterprises (NME) which developes high-definition platforms, processes and technologies, has announced the release of its first-generation HD VMD player. The player, which will retail for $175 in the US will allow consumers for the first time to experience high definition at a low cost on a backwards-compatible player, capable of playing existing DVD formats. |
TThe player utiliSes NME‘s HD VMD format, which the company says is a natural successor to the existing DVD platform. The launch of NME‘s new HD VMD player is the culmination of significant research and development efforts in Europe and China, which has resulted in the manufacture of an HD player that combines the latest electronics technologies to deliver a superior viewing experience. Significantly, NME has already secured content deals in Europe, China and India and expects to be able to announce further contracts in the near future. |
NME CEO Mahesh Jayanarayan said, “The release of our first HD VMD player is both a milestone for NME and a significant moment for the industry. NME has worked in close collaboration with our partners, who can justifiably lay claim to be leaders in HD electronics, to bring to the market a high-quality HD player at an affordable price in all regions. “NME has the platform which will allow content developers to deliver high definition content to worldwide markets now, not at some future point. This is clearly generating significant interest in the market.” Along with the HD VMD platform, NME also brings a one-stop solution to the HD market, incorporating optical disc solutions, file formats, encryption technology, authoring tools and compression technologies. NME plans to announce additional products in the near future incorporating other codecs |
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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.
