Applications

Digital lifestyle, the latest buzz word

Published

20 years ago

June 22, 2006

SINGAPORE: There‘s a rather feel-good atmosphere here at Broadcast Asia 2006. The rain gods have stopped their onslaught on Singapore, leaving a slight chill in the air. Though the conference is nearing its fag end, professionals from across the world continue their discussions while sipping endless cups of black coffee with steamed momos.

Apart from the other sessions on the digital space, Day Four saw a special seminar on Digital Living 2006: Trends in digital Homes & Lifestyle.

Chalking out the company‘s plans to fuel the growth of digital homes across the world, a Microsoft executive said, “Microsoft‘s Media Center PCs (a digital lifestyle device) have been fuelling the digital lifestyle in the US. Almost every second PC in the US is a Media Center PC and we predict more than 19 million digital homes by 2008 across Europe. In effect we expect an exponential growth rate of more than 1,200 per cent.”

Well, so what are digital homes? The term connotes huge plasma screens, a remote to orchestrate all the devices and automatic functioning of one‘s home. It is definitely this, but in the present scenario with the proliferation of technology, consumers lapping up devices and digital content, digital home lifestyle concept has also moved much further.

Today, hardware, software, content and service companies across the world are working hand-in-hand to complete this ecosystem with high-end connectivity and supporting technologies.

Shedding further light on the concept, Philips MD Emmaneul Dieppedalle said, “The concept has definitely moved away from just entertainment. It is about offering a device which can integrate and personalize all the information that is there. So, along with high-speed Net connections, exchange music, video, and other content and of course video-on-demand,

He further added, “A lot of the developments are taking place in Japan, Korea and S Asia on the consumer products side; whereas all the innovations on the PC front are happening in the US. Now, the real digital home experience phenomenon will emerge, when we try to combine the best of both the worlds.”

From the seminar which also comprised of Awox, director and GM, Alexis Martial, Orca Interactive, Alon Laor, VP, Sales and Professional Services, what came across was the digital home is currently receiving a lot of impetus behind it with a lot of people pulling in the same direction.

What‘s the real value proposition of a digital lifestyle home? Colin Png said, “Currently there are three main hubs of connectivity – the PC, mobile and the consumer items like DVDs, MP3 players, etc. The big challenge is to interconnect all these and bring in a simplified and personalized service which can comprise Digital music, Gaming, Educational tools, Photos with slide shows, MP3 players. Live TV, video on demand record. So, here you can record your favourite TV programme and watch it whenever want. Walk from your bedroom to your living room or take that official call and you will still not miss the last bit of your favourite TV programme.”

To take their content paradigm further, Microsoft has also tied up with Reuters for content. Here, consumers get very personalised content, which they can browse and choose from the news items along with videos, being delivered on broadband.

Alon Laor added, “Simply put its all about time shifting and space shifting.” According to Laor, the single biggest challenge is lack of education amongst consumers and lack of connectivity between the different hardware components. Also, we are still not able to offer that one important value proposition to the consumer.

But then, as Parks Associates USA director of research John Barrett, aptly said, “Consumers too crave for hi-tech technology, but it should be no-fuss technology. Digital homes should be able to make life easier for consumers.”

Applications

Moltbook, the AI-only social network, sparks hype, doubt and fear

Published

1 month ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Moltbook, a Reddit-style social platform built exclusively for artificial intelligence agents, has emerged as the latest obsession in Silicon Valley, drawing intense attention for its explosive growth and surreal bot-driven interactions.

The platform hosts more than 100 communities where AI agents post, argue and joke about topics ranging from governance theory to esoteric “crayfish debugging” concepts. Within days of launch, Moltbook recorded tens of thousands of posts, nearly 200,000 comments and more than 1 million human visitors observing the activity.

Yet the numbers and the autonomy are under scrutiny, as per media reports. A security researcher has suggested as many as 500,000 accounts may trace back to a single address, raising doubts about Moltbook’s membership claims. Many posts could also be the result of humans instructing their AI tools to publish content, rather than bots acting independently.

The platform runs on agentic AI, powered by an open-source tool called OpenClaw, formerly known as Moltbot. Unlike chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini, these agents are designed to perform tasks on users’ devices, from sending messages to managing calendars, with minimal human input. Once authorised, they can interact freely on Moltbook.

Some tech figures have hailed the platform as a glimpse of a post-human internet. Head of crypto custody firm BitGo Bill Lees, called it evidence that “we’re in the singularity”.

Academics are less convinced. Petar Radanliev, an AI and cybersecurity expert at the University of Oxford, said the idea of agents acting independently was “misleading”, describing Moltbook instead as automated coordination within human-set constraints. Columbia Business School assistant professor David Holtz, dismissed the spectacle as “thousands of bots yelling into the void and repeating themselves”.

Beyond hype, security worries loom large. ESET global cybersecurity advisor Jake Moore, warned that granting AI agents access to emails, private messages and files risks prioritising efficiency over privacy. Andrew Rogoyski of the University of Surrey said high-level system access could lead to serious damage, from erased data to compromised company accounts.

Even OpenClaw’s founder Peter Steinberger, has felt the darker side of attention, with scammers hijacking his old social media handles after the platform’s rebrand.

For now, Moltbook remains a strange digital zoo: part experiment, part spectacle, where AI agents banter about philosophy, productivity and, occasionally, their fondness for their human operators.

Applications

Apple appoints Avtar Ram Singh as head of international marketing

Published

1 month ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Apple has handed a bigger global brief to a long-time insider. Avtar Ram Singh has taken over as head of international marketing for the App Store, Apple Arcade and the Apple Games app, deepening his remit across one of the company’s fastest-growing businesses.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as head of international marketing, App Store, Apple Arcade and Games App at Apple,” Singh said while announcing the move.

The promotion crowns nearly seven years at Apple, where Singh has led services marketing across Southeast Asia and India and previously served as head of marketing for Southeast Asia content and services, business lead for Apple Podcasts in the region and interim marketing lead for the App Store internationally.

His new portfolio spans three pillars of Apple’s services push. The App Store, which Apple positions as a safe and trusted discovery platform, now attracts more than 850 million average weekly users globally. Since 2008, developers have earned over $550 billion on the platform.

Apple Arcade, the company’s gaming subscription service, offers unlimited access to a catalogue ranging from brain teasers to big-name franchises. The recent addition of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition brings a AAA PC title to iPhone, iPad and Mac from 5 February.

Then there is the Apple Games app, unveiled at WWDC as a unified destination for games from the App Store and Arcade. It aggregates titles in one place, surfaces personalised recommendations, tracks events and achievements, and lets users compete with friends or connect controllers for a console-like experience.

Singh arrives with a hybrid background in strategy, data and creativity. His career spans digital and social media marketing, business intelligence, content, editorial and analytics across culturally diverse markets. He has worked on brands including P&G, Accor, Audi, UBS, Nikon, Samsung, Sony, Pizza Hut, HBO and Singapore Airlines-linked businesses such as Scoot.

Before Apple, Singh led strategy at Falcon Agency, focusing on performance marketing and ROI-driven digital frameworks. He earlier ran the social practice at Publicis Singapore, where he oversaw operations, business development and regional social strategy for multinational clients. His career also includes roles at Ogilvy-linked Circus Social, Rocket Internet ventures Lazada and Zalora, and research firm IDC in Bangkok, where he analysed technology markets and won early awards for collaboration and client retention.

At Apple, he has been close to several service launches and expansions, including Apple Fitness+ in Singapore, Apple Creator Studio, global podcast subscriptions and new App Store marketing tools.

The timing is notable. Apple’s services business has posted record years, and gaming is becoming a sharper battleground as platforms chase engagement and recurring revenue. Singh’s brief sits at the intersection of content, community and commerce.

In a market where attention is scarce and loyalty scarcer, Apple is betting that sharper storytelling and smarter marketing can keep users inside its ecosystem. Singh now holds the megaphone. The real test will be how loudly the world listens.

Applications

Cloud nine in the capital Bharathcloud plugs Delhi into its AI plans

Published

1 month ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Bharathcloud is bringing its cloud closer to power. The Hyderabad-based sovereign AI cloud services provider has opened its Delhi office, marking its formal entry into North India and setting the stage for its next phase of growth.

The expansion comes as India’s digital transformation fuels rising demand for AI-ready cloud infrastructure, driven by wider adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things and data-heavy applications. With the new office, Bharathcloud plans to onboard more than 100 employees in 2026, strengthening its workforce to support customers across government, enterprises, MSMEs and social sectors.

The Delhi presence is expected to sharpen the company’s engagement with organisations seeking secure, scalable and cost-efficient cloud platforms that comply with India’s data sovereignty requirements. It also positions Bharathcloud closer to policy, public sector and enterprise decision-makers in the region.

Founded in Hyderabad, Bharathcloud offers AI-ready cloud infrastructure including Kubernetes-as-a-Service, zero-trust security architecture and multi-level data protection frameworks. Its platform supports AI and ML workloads, blockchain application migration from hyperscalers and distributed data management, with an emphasis on reliability, low latency and operational continuity.

“With the Delhi expansion, we are positioning Bharathcloud to engage more closely with AI-driven enterprises and technology hubs in North India,” said Bharathcloud co-founder Rahul Takallapally. He added that the move would help nurture local cloud and AI talent while accelerating the adoption of secure and resilient AI infrastructure across sectors.

The company currently operates in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Chennai, employing over 200 people and serving more than 1,500 clients across manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, IT and media. Aligned with national initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India, Bharathcloud continues to focus on building indigenous AI-cloud infrastructure to support data localisation and the country’s growing appetite for next-generation digital solutions.

With its Delhi office now live, the company is signalling a clear intent: to make sovereign, AI-ready cloud infrastructure not just an alternative, but a mainstream choice for India’s north as well as its tech capitals.