iWorld
AOL’s family friendly programming guides
MUMBAI: As a part of its longstanding commitment to providing family-friendly online services, America Online (AOL) in the US has introduced a new Family Friendly online guide.
The guide, which kicks off in the Moviefone and AOL CityGuide services, will be featured throughout AOL’s entertainment channels to help parents make entertainment selections appropriate for their children.
The services will both feature a Family Friendly section, highlighting hand-picked selections and key content information to help parents choose films, DVDs and events that are best suited to their families.
AOL senior VP programming Bill Wilson said, “We have long been an advocate for parents online. By offering this Family Friendly guide throughout our entertainment experience, we provide parents with a one-stop shopping activity guide to help inform their decision-making.”
Family friendly movies and DVDs — typically G or PG — will be handpicked by the editors of the Moviefone service. There will be aggregated information as to rating and age appropriateness from the MPAA and Common Sense Media. Common Sense media is an independent non-profit whose mission is to give parents a trustworthy resource for information about all media their kids consume.
The first new film to be designated Family Friendly is Because of Winn-Dixie from Twentieth Century Fox. It opens in US theatres on 18 February. The film is based upon a children’s novel about a 10-year-old girl’s adventurous summer in a new town with a new best friend – a dog named Winn Dixie.
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
