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NBC.com offers interactiove tool for upcoming reality show ‘The Voice’
MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC has announced an online complement for its upcoming reality show The Voice.
“The Voice Online Audition Tool” — Available at NBC.com will allow Users to showcase their talents from home via a personal computer and webcam as the tool records the performance and rates it based on pitch and expression.
While the show‘s casting team is searching the US, working with music industry experts and hosting casting calls in an effort to find the nation‘s top talent, “The Voice Online Audition Tool” takes the process one step further — allowing the show to find potential contestants right in their own homes via the use of a personal computer and a webcam.
NBC executive VP, alternative programming and production Paul Telegdy said, “This unique interactive online experience that provides immediate feedback and scoring is an evolution in the casting process. This technology will exponentially expand our reach but, of course, only the best of the best will make it on to the show. The possibility that the next global superstar could be discovered through this innovative tool is incredibly exciting to all of us involved.”
The tool records performances and then rates them on a scale from 1 to 10 based on pitch and expression. Once submitted, eligible performances will be showcased on NBC.COM; they can then be rated by fans and shared via social networks.
The Voice casting team will review submitted videos, seeking the ones that boast the highest scores and the best performances. Users interested in a chance to compete in this season of the show are encouraged to submit their best performances by 1 March, the current casting cut-off.
Unlike an open casting call, users of the online tool have the opportunity to practice and hone their performance, rate themselves against others, work to raise their score and submit multiple times.
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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.
