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Samsung, STMicroelectronics, Metalink unveil wireless HD IPTV set-top box
MUMBAI: Samsung Electronics; STMicroelectronics which works in the area of set-top box chips and Metalink which provides wireless and wireline broadband communication silicon solutions have collaborated to launch a set-top box. This supports high-definition (HD) TV quality based on 802.11n wireless IPTV standard. |
Samsung’s SMT-H6155 is specifically designed for the delivery of HD IPTV over wireless Lan. It is equipped with an STi7109 chipset providing the HD video decoding technology from STMicroelectronics, and Metalink’s 802.11n WLANPlusÔ chipsetenabling the wireless delivery of multiple HD video streams throughout the home. Samsung’s STB development group VP Hee-Won Park says, “Our customers have shown great demand for high-definition multimedia content via IPTV and the ability to facilitate content using Wireless Lan. We believe that Samsung‘s SMT-H6155, equipped with STMicroelectronics’ decoder and Metalink’s 802.11n chipsets, will satisfy our consumers as a top-of-the-line set-top box for HD IPTV. The SMT-H6155 will be a product that consumers can come to trust and believe in as it represents Samsung‘s highest standard for quality.” |
STMicroelectronics corporate VP, GM home entertainment group Christos Lagomichos says, “Samsung is a global leader in set-top box products and a major customer of ST. We are happy that our market leading HD decoder in cooperation with Metalink’s WLANPlus allows us to provide Samsung with the most innovative and robust solution in the market today.This platform demonstrates the capability of ST’s advanced decoders, such as the STi71xx family, which allows the set-top box to become a core multimedia appliance in the home network, for both operator and retail markets.” |
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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.
