iWorld
BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit to bring new podcast series from 4 October
Mumbai: BBC Studios has announced that producers of natural history programmes such as Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II are bringing their storytelling to audiences’ ears with a new podcast. Whether one is a nature lover, nature curious or haven’t yet realised nature is for one, the BBC Earth Podcast is accessible for all, sprinkling entertainment and humour into stories from around the natural world told by global speakers, experts, and campaigners. It has been commissioned by BBC Studios Digital Engagement.
Starting 4 October, this podcast will drop every week until 27 December on YouTube, Spotify and other platforms where listeners get their podcasts.
Each episode is themed around a core topic – from real life superpowers to the importance of death and decay – which nature-loving zoologist hosts Rutendo Shackleton and Sebastian Echeverri explore alongside special guests including nature Instagrammers, stars of film and television, and the world’s most respected scientists and naturalists.
Colombian born Sebastian and Zimbabwean born Rutendo break down complex and technical subjects into relatable, conversational, and sometimes humorous stories.
Eric Stonestreet, best known from his role in Modern Family features in episode one exploring his inspiration and insight for animal voice acting roles and wildlife, and TikToker Mamadou Ndiaye, the ‘internet zoologist’ entertains in episode three with his comic approach to the natural world.
Rutendo and Sebastian are here to make the natural world available to everyone.
Sebastian said, “Growing up, I did not see myself reflected in any of the people I saw in natural history media, and that made it really hard to envision myself working with nature as a career. But science and the natural world is for everyone, and that is a core message of the podcast.”
Rutendo added, “My hope is that this podcast encourages every listener to go out and appreciate the nature around them – wherever they are! And to feel included in the conservation conversation in whatever capacity they are able to do so. This podcast is meant to encourage everyone to gain a deeper love for the natural world, because when you love something, you’ll fight hard to protect and preserve it!”
NHU Digital head Lee Bacon said, “Here at the BBC Natural History Unit, we knew that there were an abundance of amazing animal stories, passionate expert contributors and unbelievable unheard sounds that were just waiting be shared with the world in a new type of nature podcast, and we’re incredibly excited to be working with BBC Studios Digital Engagement to bring together a fantastically talented team and two brilliant new talents in Sebastian and Rutendo to launch The BBC Earth Podcast. It’s been a highlight of my job to get to listen to what they have been capturing and I can’t wait for everyone to hear what we have been making.”
BBC Studios Digital Engagement VP programming Athena Witter said, “We’re proud to launch a brand-new podcast featuring new talent in the natural history space, with our resident experts Rutendo Shackleton and Sebastian Echeverri taking the helm for this series. Each episode brings in leading voices across a range of topics tied to the natural world and the universe – from superpowers, to death, to activism and beyond – and presents an exciting new digital proposition for BBC Earth’s audience.”
The BBC Earth Podcast was commissioned by Chris Allen and Matt Butler for BBC Studios. It is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production. The executive producer was Deborah Dudgeon.
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.
