iWorld
Facebook planning smart STB for TVs with video calling support
MUMBAI: According to a United States news website, Cheddar, social networking company Facebook is working on smart set-top boxes for TV.
And according to the sources, the set-top box will be camera equipped. It will also allow video calling along with entertainment services like Facebook’s YouTube competitor.
Internally codenamed ‘Ripley’, the device uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically detect and follow people as they move around during a video call.
Apart from opening the door for video chat feature, the new hardware would help Facebook compete in the TV market averse to Apple and Amazon.
With concepts like Ripley, Facebook is attempting to build consumer hardware business outside of its virtual reality brand ‘Oculus’. Oculus VR is an American technology company acquired by Facebook in March 2014 for around $2 million.
iWorld
Guru Randhawa clocks 19.8 billion YouTube views, tops global charts
Punjabi star outpaces global acts as streaming surge fuels new phase
MUMBAI: Guru Randhawa is striking a powerful chord on the global music stage, clocking 19.8 billion views on YouTube and emerging as one of the most-watched Punjabi artists worldwide.
The milestone puts him ahead of several global heavyweights, including Dua Lipa and Drake, underlining the growing international pull of Punjabi music. Alongside the viewership numbers, Randhawa has amassed 108.9 million hours of watch time, reflecting sustained engagement from audiences across markets.
His strong run comes on the back of a standout 2025, where he crossed 500 million audio streams, driven largely by his album Without Prejudice. The project marked a turning point, blending his signature style with a more global, polished sound.
That momentum carried forward with releases like Azul and Shkini, before rolling into 2026 with Dopamine, signalling a consistent and fast-paced release strategy.
On Spotify, Randhawa has also secured multiple top 10 entries on the India top 200 chart, reinforcing his cross-platform appeal. His independent streak appears to be paying off, with each release building on the last in both scale and reach.
As the lines between regional and global music continue to blur, Randhawa’s rise offers a glimpse into the future of Indian pop on the world stage. With numbers climbing and momentum firmly on his side, the next chapter could well be his biggest yet.
