iWorld
Amazon miniTV to launch Hindi-dubbed international shows
Mumbai: Entertainment is set to skyrocket as Amazon miniTV – the free video streaming service from Amazon.in announced the launch of its newest category, “miniTV Imported”, that will keep audiences glued to their screens with International content dubbed in Hindi. Spanning across multiple genres such as romance, drama, thriller and more, the “miniTV Imported” will stream top global shows every month ranging from Korean, Turkish, Mandarin and Spanish dramas. With this, Amazon miniTV aims at expanding its content repertoire as it looks to cater to audiences with shows imported from different geographies with riveting plots and star-studded casts.
Unveiling the exciting promo, Amazon miniTV is geared to bring the best of entertainment with several popular global shows. Whether it is the story of a detective doctor, college romance with a dancing twist or the drama revolving around doctors, the streaming service is set to launch its first set of shows from 7 July 2023 which includes Cheer Up, Heart Surgeons, and Doctor Detective, all dubbed in Hindi.
Commenting on the big venture, Amazon miniTV head of content Amogh Dusad said, “In recent times, the viewing preferences of digital video consumers in India have changed significantly. They love diversity in content offering and are looking for unique stories & captivating characters from across the world. We have curated a list of blockbuster shows (from Korean, Turkish, Mandarin, Spanish and many more languages) that we believe will resonate with Indian viewers. Very excited to add the international shows in local language to our content slate on Amazon miniTV!”
“At Amazon miniTV, our endeavour has always been to offer exciting content to our audiences across India for free. We are catering to a vast majority of 18-34 year olds, who are looking for fresh content beyond television. Hence offering a varied choice of international shows dubbed in India is a perfect extension and we believe will appeal to our customers. We believe this is an exciting opportunity, as advertisers are also very keen on reaching out to this audience on our service,” shared Amazon miniTV director and business head Aruna Daryanani.
Indulge in the experience of intriguing storylines, stellar performances and international settings in a desi avatar with Amazon miniTV. The international shows will stream soon in Hindi, exclusively on ‘Amazon miniTV Imported’ for free within Amazon’s shopping app and Fire TV.
iWorld
WhatsApp may soon let users to pick who sees their status updates
The messaging giant is borrowing a page from Instagram’s playbook as it pushes to give users finer control over their social circles.
CALIFORNIA: WhatsApp is quietly working on a feature that could make its Status function considerably smarter and considerably more private.
According to reports from beta tracking platforms, the app is testing a tool called Status lists, which would allow users to create named groups such as close friends, family and colleagues, and control precisely which group sees each update. It is a meaningful step up from the platform’s current blunt instruments, which offer only three options: share with all contacts, exclude specific people, or manually select individuals each time.
The new feature draws an obvious comparison with Instagram’s Close Friends function, and the resemblance is unlikely to be accidental. Both platforms sit within Meta’s family, and the company has been nudging them toward a common logic of audience segmentation for some time.
The move also fits neatly into WhatsApp’s broader privacy push. The platform has been rolling out enhanced chat protections and is exploring the introduction of usernames, which would allow users to connect without exchanging phone numbers. Status lists extend that philosophy from messaging into broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Status itself has been evolving well beyond its origins as a simple photo-and-text slideshow. The feature now supports music stickers, collages, longer videos and interactive elements, pushing it closer to the social-media-style story format pioneered by Snapchat and refined by Instagram. In that context, finer audience controls are not merely a privacy feature. They are a precondition for people sharing more.
The feature remains in development and has not been confirmed for release. WhatsApp routinely tests tools that are later modified or quietly shelved. But the direction of travel is clear: the app wants Status to be a destination, not an afterthought. Letting users decide exactly who is in the audience is how it gets there.
