Applications
Samsung, Verizon release Fios TV app
MUMBAI: Consumer electronics major Samsung Electronics in the US has announced the availability of the Fios TV app on compatible Samsung Smart TVs and Smart Blu-ray players.
The first-of-its-kind app on the Samsung Smart Hub platform lets Verizon’s FiOS TV and Fios Internet subscribers watch 26 live Fios TV channels and more than 20,000 FlexView on-demand movies and TV shows on these TVs and blu-ray players without requiring a set-top box. This furthers both Samsung’s and Verizon’s commitment to developing ways to help consumers enjoy “TV Everywhere.”
Verizon is the first TV provider in the US to offer video content directly through Samsung’s Smart Hub App Store.
Fios subscribers that have either Fios TV or Fios Internet subscriptions can easily download the free Fios TV app on their compatible Samsung Smart devices without requiring a secondary set-top box (STB).
The app will offer access to 26 channels at launch, including CNN, MTV, HBO, TBS, TNT, Food Network and HGTV, based on the subscribers’ current FiOS TV package. The app also offers access to more than 20,000 movie and TV show titles available monthly through FiOS TV’s Flex View, which offers FiOS customers the ability to buy or rent these titles and watch them on the TV, PC or mobile device and now compatible Samsung devices.
Samsung Electronics America VP of content, product solutions Eric Anderson said, “TV Everywhere Applications like this new FiOS TV app push the boundaries of content delivery to meet consumer demand for more control, choice and access to their favourite content. By broadening accessibility through Smart TV applications, Verizon Fios is providing consumers more flexibility for where they want to locate their Samsung Smart TV within their home without the need for a set-top box. This is another example of how Samsung is allowing the consumer to enhance their home entertainment experience.”
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.
