Applications
Grouper partners with Sony to put user-generated video on TV
MUMBAI: User-generated video community Grouper has announced its role as one of the channels on Sony Electronics‘ new TV feature — the Bravia Internet Video Link. The optional module will allow the newest Bravia Sony televisions to access a wide array ofpremium Internet video content available through Sony‘s Internet video service in the US. |
Owners of Sony Internet video-ready HDTVs, available later this year, will be able to view some of the highest quality user-generated content from the Web via a small optional module easily attached and concealed behind the TV. Video on the Grouper channel on Bravia Sony televisions will be higher resolution than video found on Grouper.com and will be appropriate for all ages. Content from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony BMG Music, as well as other providers will also be available. Grouper co-founder and co-president Josh Felser says, “This exciting partnership reinforces Grouper‘s leadership in distributing video of all types across different platforms. Grouper‘s channel on the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link brings enhanced quality user-generated videocontent into the living room and makes it possible for people to have more control over what and where they watch.” |
The module links the television set directly to a user‘s broadband Internet service provider via an Ethernet connection. Sony Internet video content can then be accessed directly on the TV without use of a personal computer. The Bravia Internet Video Link will initially be supported by Sony‘s Bravia S-series flat-panel LCD high-definition television line, which was also announced today. The new TV models include the KDL-46S3000, KDL-40S3000, KDL- 32S3000 and KDL-26S3000 units — all shipping this spring. |
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.
