Brands
Hive Dashcam with GPS and Adas launched by boAt
MUMBAI: boAt is steering into new territory. The country’s top audio and wearables brand has rolled out the Hive dashcam series, marking its first foray into in-car cameras. Built with Indian driving conditions in mind, the new range aims to turn everyday commutes into journeys with a reliable digital witness on board.
The Hive lineup includes three models, the flagship F1, the mid-range M1 and the entry-level E1, designed to suit everyone from first-time users to safety-focused motorists. Across the range, boAt promises clear footage, simple controls and practical features that step in when things on the road take an unexpected turn.
At the top sits the Hive Dashcam F1, offering dual-channel recording with 4K video at the front and Full HD at the rear. Powered by Sony Stravis sensors, it is built to capture sharper details in low light and bright glare alike. The F1 also packs an Advanced Driver Assistance System with voice alerts, built-in GPS logging, voice control and Wi-Fi app connectivity.
The Hive Dashcam M1 focuses on high-resolution recording in a compact form. It shoots in 2K QHD with a wide 140-degree field of view and includes GPS tracking, a G-sensor for automatic incident detection and support for up to 512GB of storage.
For everyday driving, the Hive Dashcam E1 offers 1296p recording, loop capture and automatic emergency triggers. Its compact build is designed for smaller cars, taxis and daily commuters, while built-in Wi-Fi allows quick access to footage through a smartphone app.
The entire Hive series uses Sony Stravis sensors to improve clarity in difficult lighting conditions. Features such as motion detection, parking surveillance, GPS route logging and G-sensor triggers aim to provide visual proof when it matters most, whether during an accident, a dispute or an insurance claim.
With this launch, boAt is moving beyond headphones and smartwatches into the world of automotive tech, betting that a clear view of the road is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity for Indian drivers.
Brands
UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
