iWorld
ConsCent.ai unveils its intelligent e-reader solution for publishers
Mumbai: ConsCent.ai has introduced an e-reader solution. It is a future system that combines intelligence, engagement, retention and payments, enabling publishers to increase their subscription business by utilising their e-papers and e-magazines.
ConsCent’s e-reader solution aims to restore publishers’ control over their data, and enable them to improve subscription conversions and lifetime value of users using ConsCent’s suite of paywalling, recommendation and engagement suite, bridging the innovation gap in e-publishing services currently used for publishing e-papers.
The product is launched with a goal to reduce cost and increase productivity for publishers by providing them with a full stack solution for all their content offerings in which data is unified, visualisation is simplified, and decision making is faster.
In India, at present e-papers account for about 80 per cent of all digital subscriptions sold, which makes it vital for the digital reader revenue strategy. With these figures, the tool is quite relevant for the upcoming times.
The tool reduces the time required to publish, organise, and maintain e-papers and e-magazines by uploading PDF pages with a single click. It also controls sharing and minimises leaks. It lets the user segment readers, retarget them and connect with them. Other key features of this solution include using information derived from a centralised dashboard and diversifying revenue streams, select, customising and implementing various paywalls (hybrid, dynamic). The tool ensures that users have a pleasurable experience.
For an understanding, 50+ news publishers and OTT platforms in India use ConsCent to maximise user revenue. India Today Group (India Today, Cosmopolitan, and Business Today), Outlook India Group (Outlook India and Outlook Business), MidDay, Jagran News Media, Amar Ujala, Udayavani, Amar Chitra Katha, EPIC On, Tinkle Comics, and are amongst some of the company’s key partners.
ConsCent has surpassed seven lakh users who can access premium content on ConsCent’s partners without creating multiple logins and can unlock premium content with a single click. The firm’s partners have not only increased their paying user base 10X in a year, but have also assisted publishers in making their premium content more discoverable through recommendations, engaging with users through audience segmentation-based targeting, and even retaining them through a host of marketing tools – all through one single dashboard.
ConsCent co-founder and CEO Sunny Sen shared, “Newspapers are the most valuable and editorially rich content produced by publishers. However, if it is limited to print, it loses the ability to develop, maximise brand recognition and truly monetise its content. As readers and advertisers rapidly migrate online and to mobile devices, publishers have little choice, but to adapt.”
However, a digital presence is not sufficient. A publisher must be able to effectively monetise their valuable editorial content, which is essentially a result of how well they can understand their audience and use the information about their preferences, reading habits, reading behaviour, propensity to pay, etc. to deliver them with a personalised experience.
“The option to consume anything at any time with the choice of what time of day you would like to consume your content has made capturing user data an essential requirement for publishers in the internet age. Existing E-publishing software gives publishers little to no control over user behaviour understanding, resulting in a significant loss of user comprehension,” he concluded.
Gaming
Sony raises PS5 prices for second time in under a year
US disc edition jumps $100 to $649.99 as memory costs surge.
MUMBAI: Sony just hit the pause button on affordable gaming because when memory prices skyrocket, even the Playstation has to pay the premium. Sony has announced its second price increase for the Playstation 5 range in less than a year, citing pressures in the global economic landscape and a sharp rise in memory component costs driven by AI demand.
In the US, the PS5 disc edition will rise from $549.99 to $649.99, a $100 hike while the digital edition increases to $599.99. The more powerful PS5 Pro will jump $150 to $899.99. The Playstation Portal remote player will also rise by $50 to $249.99. The new prices take effect on 2 April 2026.
Similar increases have been applied in the UK (£90 per model), Europe and Japan. Sony last raised PS5 prices in the US in August 2025.
“We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” Sony said in a blog post.
The hikes come amid an unprecedented surge in memory prices, as manufacturers prioritise supply for AI data centres. Analysts say Sony had likely secured price protections for components that have now expired, forcing the company to protect its hardware margins.
Ampere Analysis research director of games Piers Harding-Rolls told CNBC that further increases from Microsoft and Nintendo would not be surprising, though Nintendo may hesitate to raise the price of its recently launched Switch 2 while establishing the new platform.
The increases arrive eight months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6, which is expected to drive strong console sales. However, early reactions online have been a mix of disappointment and resignation, with growing concern that premium gaming is increasingly becoming a hobby for higher-income players.
In a sector already grappling with tariffs, inflation and component shortages, Sony’s move underscores a tough reality: even the most popular consoles are not immune to the rising cost of keeping up with the latest technology.
