iWorld
Prime Video announces K-drama slate; brings 10 new titles on the service
Mumbai: Following the success of “Parasite” and “Minari,” Amazon Prime Video has launched a Korean content slate to capture the booming interest in Korean dramas (K-dramas) in genres like romance, mystery, thriller, and horror. Starting from 21 October, a repertoire of K-dramas will be available on the streaming platform.
“Video streaming has brought a host of varied cultures into our living rooms. Users are now enjoying watching content from different regions of India and from around the world, finding resonance in stories, characters, and cultures,” said Amazon Prime Video India head of content licensing Manish Menghani.
The shows launching on the service include “True Beauty,” which dwells on the classic makeover of a young high school girl, bullied for her appearance; “Strangers from Hell” that will transport the viewers to a dingy apartment building with shady neighbours and a series of mysterious events, and the new season of a high-octane action-packed series, “Taxi Driver” featuring Lee Je-Hoon and Esom. While the saga of the supernatural will continue with Lee Dong-Wook and Cho Bo-Ah starrer “Tale of the Nine Tailed,” “Hotel Del Luna” will introduce a mix of eeriness and a gripping plotline.
Prime Video will continue to release Korean titles until the end of November. “The Penthouse: War in Life” season one to three will begin streaming on 28 October, followed by “Mr Queen” and “Secret Garden” on 4 November, “Voice” seasons one to four on 11 November, and “Doctors” whose release date is yet to be announced.
“Korean content, in particular, has made significant inroads into India’s mainstream popular culture. Our users were highly appreciative of Korean films like ‘Parasite’ and ‘Minari’ on Prime Video – the films saw viewership from across the length and breadth of the country,” Menghani further said.
“The announcement marks our efforts to program for evolving consumer choices for immersive content. We will continue to curate a compelling library of content that is diverse, resonates with our audience, and gives them the choice to explore stories from around the world,” he added.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
