Applications
Wireless applications steal the show at 15th Convergence India 2007
NEW DELHI: Two new software items were launched by an Indian entrepreneur, ‘One 97’, Mobicast (Mobile Broad Cast) and Video SMS, for the first time in India while Motorola announced that it was about to launch a new handset called, ‘Rocker‘ which will act as web cam on the second day of the 15th Convergence India 2007. One 97 said Mobicast would help people to tune from their mobile phones into any radio channel that was streamed over the internet. The application will allow the users to access numerous feeds from across the world, including audio feeds of various Indian languages such as Bhojpuri, Tamil, Punjabi, Malayalam etc. The other software, Video SMS, will allow users to personalize self-expressions with built over voice to create a talking video message. Addressing a special seminar on ‘Mobile Handset and New Innovations‘, Motorola Director (Marketing) Lloyd Mathias said, “Handsets are an integral part of people‘s daily life, and are extensions of their personality. People now use phones for purposes beyond talking and messaging – they look for cameras, Radio etc. There are at present a total of 32 million camera users/150 million mobile users, but there will be more camera-enabled phones than cameras, and more people will listen to songs on their phones than through CDs by the end of this calendar year. |
He added that Motorola was about to launch a new handset – ‘Rocker‘ – which will act as a web cam. It can be used as a web cam while chatting through the phone. Soon, there will be many new technologies being launched including as music ID, Vastushastra etc. Indian Cellular Association (ICA) National President Pankaj Mohindroo and Mr Suneel Dutt of Nokia also addressed the meet. |
One of the leading Telecom equipment makers, UTStarcom, said it had signed a contract with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to deploy 1.3 million broadband lines across 900 cities in the country. A Philippine-based software company is also showcasing an amazing new software, Nemo, which can turn a mobile into a GPRS based navigation system. Prem Behl, Managing Director of Exhibitions India which has organized the three-day Convergence India, said, “The year 2007 is touted to be the year of ICT – rural connectivity, Broadband, 3G, enterprise and entertainment bulge, mobile content, e-governance, increase in PC penetration, Information Security and telemedicine, On-line education, telemedicine, IT applications in financial services, and e-commerce and the meet reflects a surge in industry confidence. Techno-enthusiasts will get to see the latest products and services that are expected to change the way consumers and businesses will use and interact with new age gadgets, he added. |
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.
