iWorld
Voot Select premiers The Comey Rule
KOLKATA: The US Presidential Election 2020 is the most anticipated political event unfolding in a matter of weeks. But before the dynamics of world politics get ruffled again, we must witness a recreation of the tumultuous relationship between a decorated former FBI Director and current US President that blotted the tenure of the most controversial presidency in US history. Streaming exclusively on Voot Select in India, The Comey Rule features powerful performances by Emmy winners Jeff Daniels as former FBI director James Comey and Brendan Gleeson as president Donald J. Trump.
Commenting on the new line-up premiering on the platform, Voot Select, Viacom18 youth, music and english entertainment head Ferzad Palia said, “Voot Select is constantly pushing the boundaries of content offered to viewers with top-notch originals, international shows across genres, popular sports, music & lifestyle events. While our originals have been making waves, the variety of international series on our platform has not only been appreciated by critics and audience alike but also created a fan-following for themselves.”
He further added, “Through this exclusive deal with Showtime, one of the most dominant content creators, we’re bringing the latest and biggest international shows to Indian audience. Garnering rave reviews and US elections looming, The Comey Rule has become one of the most recommended political dramas to watch. Voot Select is adding a whole lot more to the viewers’ watchlist in the coming days with the English Football League Carabao Cup and shows like The Good Lord Bird, The Comedy Store, Your Honor, The Reagans to only name a few.”
The high-pitched political drama will be followed by an array of similarly extraordinary content including the Ethan Hawke starrer The Good Lord Bird, The Comedy Store – chronicling the five-part docuseries on the evolution of comedy and the highly competitive English football competition ‘Carabao Cup’, premiering exclusively on Voot Select, certain to get viewers hooked to the platform.
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.
