Applications
Sony adds edge-lit LED models to Bravia HDTV line
MUMBAI: Sony in the US has introduced a new line of ultra-thin Bravia LCD HDTVs featuring an advanced edge-lit LED backlight and contrast ratio of over 1,000,000:1. The XBR10-series models also deliver full 1080p wireless transmission of high definition signals from a separate media box to a receiver embedded in the TV, allowing source components to be placed out of sight. Says Sony Electronics VP – television business Jeff Goldstein, “The wireless feature clears the clutter of components and messy tangles of unsightly wires, allowing you to hide components away across the room.” The XBR10 models also feature an Ethernet connection allowing them to directly access Sony Bravia Internet Video content using an existing broadband network. The platform offers free movies, TV shows, sports and music along with an partners such as Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Slacker Internet Radio, and, later this fall, Netflix.
| Bravia Internet Widgets, powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine, will also expand and personalise the TV experience by adding on-screen applications that provide informations such as weather reports, stock information, financial news, Twitter, and additional content. The full HD 1920×1080 progressive (1080p) models also feature Sony’s Motionflow 240Hz technology, which the company says delivers images with natural motion. The Motionflow algorithm goes beyond traditional 120Hz technology by quadrupling the frame rate of conventional LCD TVs and interpolating three new frames. |
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.
