iWorld
What’s New on HOOQ
HOOQ, Southeast Asia’s largest video on demand service reveals its content line up for the next three months (August – October). Get ready for an exciting three months filled with fresh blockbusters, classic comedies and same-day as U.S. Telecast series.
Fresh out of the cinemas are epic blockbusters such as Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and The Wasp and even Solo: A Star Wars Story. Also relive nostalgia with the hits from the past such as I Am Sam and Entourage and even the full series of the comedy classic, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Kids favourites such as Max Steel, Barbie Dreamtopia and Thomas & Friends also make their debut.
In addition to these, get your inner superheroes prepared for the new seasons of The Flash and Supergirl same day as the US Telecast.
Find the full list and corresponding air dates in the attached PDF. Let us know if you need anything further for your features.
Have fun watching and get HOOQ’d!
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.
