iWorld
Apple Maps likely to show in-app ads from next year: Report
Mumbai: Apple is reportedly planning to show search ads in its Maps app on the iPhone. This development is expected to take place next year.
According to MacRumors, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote in the subscriber-only version of the Power On newsletter that he believes the engineering work is already underway. He noted, “I believe the engineering work is already underway to launch search ads in the Apple Maps app, and we should begin to see it be implemented sometime next year.”
“Apple is set to expand ads to new areas of your iPhone and iPad in search of its next big revenue driver,” Gurman wrote, referring to the paid search results expected to be rolled out on the app.
The ads on Apple Maps will differ from the traditional banner ads that we see on websites. They are expected to function more like paid search results, in which a restaurant or business pays to appear near the top of the results when a user searches on Maps.
Gurman added in the report that Apple’s advertising division generates approximately $4 billion in revenue per year and that Apple’s advertising chief Todd Teresi hopes to increase that figure to at least $10 billion per year over time.
While Apple is aggressively pushing its privacy policy, this move is quite surprising to many. In fact, Apple launched a feature called App Tracking Transparency (ATT) last year to support users in keeping a check on apps. It will be interesting to see how Apple will ensure privacy with this feature.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
