Applications
Web-enabled TV sets in China to cross 15 mn units by 2014: Study
MUMBAI: Web-enabled TV sets in China will exceed 15 million units by 2014, according to a forecast by In-Stat.
This is indicative of a significant growth. China’s web TV market kicked off in 2009, with over two million web TV set shipments and about one-fourth million web TV set-top box (STB) shipments.
The fast development of the web TV market is driven by competition between the giant domestic TV vendors and the low incremental cost for web TV functionality, helping drive wider user acceptance.
The web TV STB market does face challenges associated with its limited sales channel and high retail pricing. Some telecom operators are deploying web TV STBs coupled with subscriptions to their high bandwidth Internet access, but they do so while keeping a low profile due to regulation concerns.
With the triple-play policy being pushed by the Chinese government, more licensed content providers for web TV sets will emerge. Web TV is becoming standard on large screen LED and LCD TV sets.
– The penetration rate of web TV is likely to increase from eight to 50 per cent in next five years.
– Users are willing to pay for web TV content, if the content is in HD quality and up-to-date.
– Cable STBs with VoIP functions have already emerged in China.
– In the US market, over 137 million web-enabled CE devices will ship in 2014.
– Hybrid web-to-TV set top boxes (STB) are emerging as a vital tool to enable broadcasters and operators to provision over-the-top video offerings.
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.
