Applications
Broadcom launches new product for HD viewing
MUMBAI: Broadcom Corporation, a global innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, has launched its next-generation 40nm high definition (HD) satellite set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution.
The company’s new technology enables low cost HDTV and interactive services to emerging markets such as BRICA (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Africa).
The new BCM7358 HD satellite STB SoC claims to reduce design complexity, size and overall system cost to accelerate deployment of HD satellite STBs throughout the BRICA markets.
Emerging BRICA markets are all transitioning to HD broadcasting driven by operators that include Dish TV India (offers 35 HD channels), Sky Brazil (offers 25 HD channels) and Russia‘s NTV Plus (offers 8 HD channels).
The percentage of satellite STBs shipping that support HD in India, Brazil and Russia will grow from 13 per cent in 2010 to 57 per cent in 2016, according to ABI Research.
Broadcom‘s new BCM7358 single-channel 1080p HD advanced video coding (AVC) satellite receiver chip features a high performance CPU and graphics engine, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) connectivity support and advanced security functionality.
The BCM7358 is now sampling to set-top box manufacturers.
ABI Research senior analyst Sam Rosen says, “Reducing hardware and subscription costs coupled with higher penetration of HDTVs will give mainstream customers in emerging markets more access to HD services.”
Broadcom‘s DBS Set-Top Box line of business VP Marketing Nicholas Dunn adds,: “Broadcom‘s new set-top box technology delivers the ability to upgrade subscribers from SD to HD at minimal cost, transforming the satellite pay TV market in emerging countries.”
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.
