iWorld
Facebook declares Internet.org innovation challenge
NEW DELHI: Facebook has declared the Internet.org innovation challenge in India today. The objective of the campaign is to make internet more accessible and relevant to four sections of the population that are currently underserved in India: women, students, farmers and migrant workers.
These communities face maximum structural barriers when it comes to using the internet. McKinsey & Company’s recent study affirmed that the lack of relevant local and multilingual online content and services is one of the primary barriers to internet adoption. Even if they get connected online, the material they find turns out to be insignificant. Internet.org’s initiative will give people access to apps, websites and services that are relevant to their lives and readable in their own languages.
Facebook will be presenting four $ 250,000 innovation challenge award prizes: one to the leading app, website or service or idea that best meets the needs of each of the designated population categories. Two $25,000 impact award prizes will also be granted in each category.
Winners will be announced at Mobile World Congress in March 2015 and interested individuals, organisations and groups can submit applications through 31 January 2015.
Companies, governments and individuals need to work together to remove connectivity barriers. This will ensure everyone has access to the internet globally.
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.
