iWorld
Maxis in trouble as SC summons its chief
MUMBAI: The Supreme Court of India has restrained the transfer of 2G licences from the Malaysian company Maxis which were allotted to Aircel originally. Chief Justice J S Khehar also proposed to restrain earning of any revenue by using the 2G spectrum licences. Maxis had allotted its licence to Aircel in 2006.
The bench said that the instant order was issued to bring to the notice of Malaysian business T Ananda Krishnan – the owner of Maxis group and to ensure he makes his appearance in the apex court. The bench also comprised of Justices N V Ramana and D Y Chandrachud.
The apex court also declared that the 2G licences shall be seized if Krishnan and another Maxis executive Ralph Marshall fail to appear on 27 January. The bench has also asked the telecom ministry to devise ways to prevent adverse impact which can take place if the 2G licences are provided to the other service providers and not Aircel.
Krishnan added that they cannot tolerate a person using the national resource such as spectrum of India and not honouring the court notice. The court has also directed the government of India to publish the order instantly in two leading Malaysian newspapers. The court specified that, if the proposed order is passed, it would not be open to any of the accused to raise the issue of monetary losses.
BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy had alleged that FIPB clearance to Aircel-Maxis was granted illegally. Special 2G prosecutor Anand Grover said that hearing on framing of charges in the trial court is scheduled for 9 January. The bench has also added that the material for further hearing on 27 January and other charges made by the BJP spokesperson will be dealt at a later stage.
Also Read: Aircel-Maxis case: 2G court seeks to speed trial against Marans
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.
