iWorld
Amazon Freevee unveils new slate of originals
Mumbai: During the Amazon presentation at NewFronts in New York City, streaming service platform Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) announced an increased slate of originals, with multiple pickups of scripted and unscripted content.
The free streaming service greenlit a new cooking competition series called “America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation,” the coming-of-age drama “Beyond Black Beauty,” the family competition series “Play-Doh Squished” and the music documentary “Post Malone: Runaway.” Freevee also picked up a second season of “Bosch: Legacy” and a third and fourth season of Uninterrupted’s “Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers.”
Additionally, Amazon Freevee has secured a short-term film licensing agreement with Disney Media And Entertainment Distribution for a limited selection of titles such as “Deadpool,” “Deadpool 2,” “Logan,” “Hidden Figures,” “Murder on the Orient Express,” and “The Post” which will be available to customers on the free streaming service. This news follows the previously announced Freevee deal with NBCU for an exclusive network window for films from Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s 2020-21 theatrical slate, including titles such as “Dolittle,” “The Invisible Man,” “Promising Young Woman,” “F9,” and “Sing 2.”
Amazon Freevee also announced that it has increased its free ad-supported TV (Fast) offering to more than 75 channels, including exclusive linear channels for the Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience,” as well as the original “The Kids in the Hall” comedy series. In addition to these exclusive channels, Fast programming on Freevee includes curated, thematically programmed channels, such as popular movies and TV shows, comedy shows, and animated shows; Freevee and Prime Video Originals channels, such as Judy Justice and Bosch; and syndicated channels with several distribution partners, including A&E, BBC, and Scripps, featuring an array of genres and with content selection based on customers’ wide variety of interests.
“By developing and programming inspired, fan-favorite Original series and movies – produced and delivered by Amazon Studios in partnership with some of the industry’s best creators and studio partners – and by securing exclusive, highly sought licensed content, we have built a destination where viewers know they can discover and enjoy something new, or indulge in something they already love,” said Amazon Freevee co-heads of content and programming Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi. “We’ve also built a home for talent where their ideas will be nurtured and brought to life, and are building a brand where advertisers know they will find popular, compelling programming. Today’s announcements about our upcoming slate showcase our continued commitment to delivering customers the premium content they crave – always free of charge.”
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.
