Applications
Intel, NBC in broadband content alliance
MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC Universal and compueter chip major Intel have announced the launch of the NBC VIP Access online service.
This will provide on-demand broadband-delivered entertainment content for free to consumers with Intel Viiv technology-based PCs and Centrino mobile technology-based laptops.
NBC.com will provide Intel customers the opportunity to download many of their favorite NBC Universal programs in high-resolution video, including access to the entire fall season of two new shows Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
NBC Universal Digital Media and Market Development president Beth Comstock says, “Great content coupled with a great experience is a key differentiator on the Web. NBC’s VIP Access showcases some of the best content that we have and we are proud to be working with Intel to deliver the best high-resolution online video experience available to consumers.”
Intel’s Digital Home Group VP Kevin Corbett says, “The combination of NBC content with Intel Viiv and Centrino technology will give users a chance to enjoy great television in a high quality format in the living room and on the go. This showcases the value the PC can deliver in providing high-quality entertainment content-previews, full episodes, webisodes, etc– on-demand.”
NBC VIP Access will feature over 20 different NBC Universal broadcast and online programs, including online access to full-episodes of the fall season of Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. NBC VIP Access will also showcase the season premieres of Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock and Ghost Hunters and first scenes from Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Battlestar Galactica. Special extras include The NBC News Special: Bono in Africa, a Battlestar Galactica special and Ghost Hunters: Best of Season One.
The NBCU-Intel collaboration began last year with a jointly developed site on NBCOlympics.com entitled “Your NBCOlympics.com Moments.” Consumers using PCs powered by Intel Viiv technology and Intel Centrino mobile technology enjoyed NBC Universal’s Olympic highlights and content in high-resolution format through an easy to use interface.
Intel Viiv technology connects the PC to the TV, and enables consumers to simplify, share and control their sports, games, music and movies with the energy-efficient performance delivered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The technology is widely supported by a number of PC and consumer electronics manufacturers, as well as content and service providers such as NBC Universal. Intel Centrino mobile technology is a set of integrated computing technologies, now with the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor, designed to power wireless laptops and make it simple for people to enjoy mobile computing and entertainment
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.
