iWorld
Prime Video rolls out an improved streaming experience-Here’s What’s new
Mumbai: Prime Video is bringing clarity and simplicity back to streaming with improvements to its user experience that will begin to roll out globally today, and will become available to all customers in the coming weeks.
There’s so much to discover on Prime Video, and with these updates, you’ll be able to navigate across our vast entertainment destination with ease. With more personalized recommendations powered by generative AI, you can discover content that is tailored to your individual preferences, allowing you to spend more time watching and less time browsing. Plus, we’re making it easier to quickly identify movies and series that are available at no additional cost to your Prime membership, find new blockbusters to rent and add or manage add-on subscriptions.
“We’re always listening to customers and reviewing feedback, and it’s clear that many are in search of a more intuitive streaming experience,” said Kam Keshmiri, Vice President of Design at Prime Video. “With the improvements we have made to the user experience, customers will be presented with an easy-to-navigate entertainment destination where they can discover new titles and enjoy favourites, as well as sign up to or switch add-on subscriptions with just a few clicks. Best of all, they can do this while using a single login.”
Prime Video offers a large collection of premium programming in a single application across thousands of device types. You can explore a vast array of titles on Prime Video including your favourite Indian and international original series, movies, TV shows, and more, across multiple languages – including Indian-produced Original series like Mirzapur, Farzi, Panchayat, The Family Man, Dhootha, Jubilee, Dahaad, Made in Heaven, Suzhal – The Vortex, Inspector Rishi, Poacher, Indian Police Force, Paatal Lok, Rainbow Rishta, Wedding.con; Original movies like Maja Ma, Ammu, Mast Mein Rehne Ka; popular global Originals like Citadel, The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, The Boys, The Wheel of Time, Road House, The Idea of You; some of the biggest post-theatrical films; direct-to-service films such as Shershaah, Soorarai Pottru, Sardar Udham, Bawaal, Gehraiyaan, Jai Bhim, Jalsa, Sherni, Narappa, Sarpatta Parambarai, Kuruthi, Joji, Malik, Pippa, #HOME, Sharmajee Ki Beti, and many more of such titles. Additionally, Prime Video’s video entertainment marketplace offers customers programming from partners such as Lionsgate Play, Discovery+ Crunchyroll, BBC Player, Sony Pictures – Stream, MGM+, FanCode, Chaupal, Manorama Max, Eros Now, Hoichoi, Anime Times to name a few, via Prime Video Channels add-on-subscriptions, as well as the option to rent movies, regardless of whether customers have a Prime membership or not.
Here are the updates coming to the Prime Video user experience.
1. Content-forward navigation bar & single-click access to titles with the hero rotator
When launching Prime Video, you’ll notice a new navigation bar. Here, you will see purpose-built destinations including “Home,” “Movies,” “TV Shows,” and “Live TV,” as well as active Prime Video Channels add-on subscriptions, allowing you to navigate by content type.
A new “Prime” destination will also be available in the navigation bar, which allows you to browse movies and TV shows available at no additional cost with a Prime membership.
Just below the navigation bar, the hero rotator will showcase content you can watch with a subscription, or rent, as well as a range of promotions including Prime member deals. Plus, you can directly play, rent or subscribe to watch, making it easier to start watching the titles you love.
2. Explore, sign up and manage add-on subscriptions
You can now browse, sign up and manage your active add-on subscriptions directly from the navigation bar. In India., you can explore more than 20 add-on subscriptions by selecting “Subscriptions.” Here, in addition to what you’re already signed up for, you can find new options that are uniquely recommended based on your preferences, previous rentals, and viewing history. Plus, the subscription destination will display deals of subscriptions from third-party services, all in one place.
3. Improved recommendations and clarity around the content that’s included with a Prime membership
Personalised recommendations have always been essential to the Prime Video experience. However, improvements to personalization features, which were created with the assistance of Generative AI, will make it easier to find the content that is the most relevant to you.
To power this experience, Prime Video uses Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed AWS service for building and scaling generative AI applications with foundational models, to generate personalized recommendations for customers.
In addition to recommendations, you can browse content by taste and other categories such as “Top 10 in India”. And now, it will be easier than ever to see what is included with a Prime membership and what you may need to pay extra for. Prime and add-on subscription logos, like Lionsgate Play or Crunchyroll, will appear on the hero and title cards of a movie or TV show to help inform you about which subscription the content is coming from. If a title requires additional payment, a yellow shopping bag will be visible.
Plus, Prime Video is utilising Large Language Models (LLMs) to simplify the synopses for TV Shows and Movies, so you can quickly glance at a title description, rather than having to scroll to decide if it is something you’d want to watch.
4. Simple, intuitive and frictionless streaming
New animations, smooth page transitions and zoom effects are a few of the enhancements for a frictionless and enjoyable streaming experience you can look forward to.
When using a living room device, video content will play on the hero rotator as you determine what to watch, creating an immersive browsing experience. And on the “Live TV” destination, recommended 24/7 stations will automatically start playing. They will continue to do so as you transition into full-screen playback, or exit to browse other stations.
Prime Video has optimized the experience across all devices, including older models, so everyone can enjoy it.
And these updates are just the start. At Prime Video, we always innovate on behalf of our customers and will continue to improve the user experience so customers can seamlessly navigate and discover content they’ll love across our vast entertainment destination.
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iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
