iWorld
Natpe announces its plan to file for bankruptcy under chapter 11
Mumbai: The National Association of Television Program Executives (Natpe) has announced its plan to restructure its business affairs with the Bankruptcy Court under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. It said, “Like many other professional organisations, Natpe has been adversely impacted by the Covid pandemic, which prevented us from holding events, which typically generate significant revenue. Natpe was forced to operate on its financial reserves, which now required it to reorganise its business structure.”
“Natpe is looking at all possible options to restructure, including raising funds through strategic alliances and continuing to operate Natpe as a more streamlined and reorganised operation. For almost 60 years, Natpe has been the leading global professional association for content producers, distributors, developers, streamers, and buyers across all distribution platforms. Natpe is optimistic that it will emerge from the reorganisation process in the same position,” it said.
The emergence of new Covid-19 strains at a time when infections were at their maximum led to Natpe being compelled to postpone its main conference and market activities in 2021 and 2022.
In response to one of the largest rises in Covid infections, Natpe decided to cancel the in-person conference scheduled for January 2022 in Miami, Florida. Next year it will host an event in the Bahamas from 18-20 January instead of in Miami. It aims to return to Budapest in the summer.
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.
