iWorld
Aha partners with O4 Media to stream exclusive Korean content
Mumbai: Good news for Korean drama (K Drama) fans! OTT platform aha has partnered with a Hong Kong-based global content distributor O4 media to stream Korean content from Korean Broadcasting System( KBS), including premium crime, drama, and comedy, onto the platform.
aha’s CEO Ajit Thakur said, “We are among the fastest-growing OTTs in India, with a presence in Telugu and Tamil. Our diverse and differentiated local content has built a strong core fan base with a wide variety our content ranging from fiction, nonfiction, game shows, music, and talent shows original films, live news, kids’ content, and so on. Keeping in mind the evolving preferences of viewers and the popularity of Korean content amongst our audiences, we are now bringing some of the top Korean shows in local languages, enabling our viewers to watch their favourite programs from across the world.”
Starting the last quarter of this year, 100 hours of Korean content will go live for Telugu consumers adding further value to aha’s exhaustive content library.
O4 Media founder & managing director Gary Pudney said, “The south is a dynamic part of India, and working with Aha, such a new and fast-growing player in the market, illustrates that they have an acute eye for the content which is highly appealing and engaging for their audience. We see this as just the beginning of a long-lasting relationship.”
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.
