Applications

Not just couch potatoes

Published

12 years ago

October 22, 2013

While watching television is the main source of entertainment for millions of Indians, the sheer number of channels and programs from which one has to choose makes for a rather mind-boggling exercise. But don’t fret for there’s help in the form of a new platform where people with similar viewing preferences can exchange views and stay updated with the latest developments.

Founded by BIT-Meerut B.Tech graduates Rabi Gupta and Ashish Kumar in May this year, iCouchApp helps television viewers engage with the programs they are watching, get TV program alerts, and have loads of fun while they are at it.

Audiences are attracted more towards a product that has official link-ups explain Ashish and Rabi

Television enthusiasts Rabi and Ashish wanted more from TV shows than just nicely packaged programs, which is why they entered the domain with iDubba, a platform designed to bridge the gap between television and audiences. “We launched iDubba last year and it basically worked as a TV guide. Like viewers could set alerts for their favourite shows, movies, etc,” says Rabi, who not only was not satisfied with the existing shows but also curious to know more about them.

Within sometime of launching iDubba, the duo noticed a change in the behaviour of their users, who started interacting on the platform about their likes and dislikes with respect to certain shows. “We came to the conclusion that while TV audience requires information, they also want an interactive platform. And that was the germ from where we started working on the iCouch app,” says Rabi about the genesis of the application, which has now found popularity among more than 25,000 android phone users.

With very few contacts in the television industry, the duo first ran the idea through Zee Café and found it was taken in good spirit. “The channel was in the process of launching the new season of their popular show, Grey’s Anatomy and tied up with us for the same,” reveals Rabi.

Zee Café found it an exhilarating idea as it would help them expand their viewer base. Business head Zee – niche channels Anurag Bedi says: “The rate at which various communication vehicles are seeing a decline, this initiative was taken to give the viewers a personalised bite into their TV viewing experience. This differentiated app has been developed in a creative and nimble way to get viewers talking about the show real time. With majority of the urban population now making a shift to smartphones, creating such an app was an obvious choice for engagement for this kind of a show,” adding that the app was meant to unite all fans of Grey’s Anatomy on a common platform and keep them glued to the show.”

Before taking their plan ahead, Rabi and Ashish interacted with different TV channels to understand their problems in engaging with audiences. “It basically required building a kind of trust with the TV audience. Audiences are attracted more towards a product that has official link-ups. So we made sure to promote the app on the TV screen as a ticker while the show was on air,” says Rabi, adding that since the app is still new, their associations with channels are free of monetary give and take.

After Zee Café, History Channel followed suit, partnering with iDubba for their series Ancient Aliens.

Says A+E Networks TV18 VP and head marketing Sangeetha Aiyer: “We’re always on the lookout for ideas and activities which can help increase the overall engagement and help make the process of receiving viewer feedback more efficient. In this case, we were looking to integrate the social interactions with television directly, and iCouch solved this problem efficiently. Apart from being a novel experience for our viewers, it helped us receive direct feedback from the viewers – something that regular social interaction was not equipped to deliver efficiently.”

Social analytics data derived from audience interactions helped the channel to analyse the mood and reception more accurately. “While the App helped us engage with viewers, the ticker playing live during the telecast helped the App accrue more downloads, making it a truly symbiotic relationship for both parties,” says Aiyer, highlighting that the business arrangement between both parties is pretty basic and their prime objective at the moment is to increase engagement.

Rabi and Ashish were able to generate funds from many people in the industry like Ashok Kurien and Rajan Anandan.

Currently, the app is really popular with audiences and is promoting few non-partner shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati and Bigg Boss Season 7 that are helping the duo increase their user base. “These are non-partner shows but they have become really popular and have picked up a lot of traction because of the interesting concept,” says Rabi, who has huge plans for the app in future. “It is not just exciting for viewers but broadcasters too. In the time to come, we are going to build a lot of things inside the app which would amplify engagement,” he concludes.

Related Topics:Ashish Kumar iCouch app Rabi Gupta

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Applications

Moltbook, the AI-only social network, sparks hype, doubt and fear

Published

6 days ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Moltbook, a Reddit-style social platform built exclusively for artificial intelligence agents, has emerged as the latest obsession in Silicon Valley, drawing intense attention for its explosive growth and surreal bot-driven interactions.

The platform hosts more than 100 communities where AI agents post, argue and joke about topics ranging from governance theory to esoteric “crayfish debugging” concepts. Within days of launch, Moltbook recorded tens of thousands of posts, nearly 200,000 comments and more than 1 million human visitors observing the activity.

Yet the numbers and the autonomy are under scrutiny, as per media reports. A security researcher has suggested as many as 500,000 accounts may trace back to a single address, raising doubts about Moltbook’s membership claims. Many posts could also be the result of humans instructing their AI tools to publish content, rather than bots acting independently.

The platform runs on agentic AI, powered by an open-source tool called OpenClaw, formerly known as Moltbot. Unlike chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini, these agents are designed to perform tasks on users’ devices, from sending messages to managing calendars, with minimal human input. Once authorised, they can interact freely on Moltbook.

Some tech figures have hailed the platform as a glimpse of a post-human internet. Head of crypto custody firm BitGo Bill Lees, called it evidence that “we’re in the singularity”.

Academics are less convinced. Petar Radanliev, an AI and cybersecurity expert at the University of Oxford, said the idea of agents acting independently was “misleading”, describing Moltbook instead as automated coordination within human-set constraints. Columbia Business School assistant professor David Holtz, dismissed the spectacle as “thousands of bots yelling into the void and repeating themselves”.

Beyond hype, security worries loom large. ESET global cybersecurity advisor Jake Moore, warned that granting AI agents access to emails, private messages and files risks prioritising efficiency over privacy. Andrew Rogoyski of the University of Surrey said high-level system access could lead to serious damage, from erased data to compromised company accounts.

Even OpenClaw’s founder Peter Steinberger, has felt the darker side of attention, with scammers hijacking his old social media handles after the platform’s rebrand.

For now, Moltbook remains a strange digital zoo: part experiment, part spectacle, where AI agents banter about philosophy, productivity and, occasionally, their fondness for their human operators.

Applications

Apple appoints Avtar Ram Singh as head of international marketing

Published

7 days ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Apple has handed a bigger global brief to a long-time insider. Avtar Ram Singh has taken over as head of international marketing for the App Store, Apple Arcade and the Apple Games app, deepening his remit across one of the company’s fastest-growing businesses.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as head of international marketing, App Store, Apple Arcade and Games App at Apple,” Singh said while announcing the move.

The promotion crowns nearly seven years at Apple, where Singh has led services marketing across Southeast Asia and India and previously served as head of marketing for Southeast Asia content and services, business lead for Apple Podcasts in the region and interim marketing lead for the App Store internationally.

His new portfolio spans three pillars of Apple’s services push. The App Store, which Apple positions as a safe and trusted discovery platform, now attracts more than 850 million average weekly users globally. Since 2008, developers have earned over $550 billion on the platform.

Apple Arcade, the company’s gaming subscription service, offers unlimited access to a catalogue ranging from brain teasers to big-name franchises. The recent addition of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition brings a AAA PC title to iPhone, iPad and Mac from 5 February.

Then there is the Apple Games app, unveiled at WWDC as a unified destination for games from the App Store and Arcade. It aggregates titles in one place, surfaces personalised recommendations, tracks events and achievements, and lets users compete with friends or connect controllers for a console-like experience.

Singh arrives with a hybrid background in strategy, data and creativity. His career spans digital and social media marketing, business intelligence, content, editorial and analytics across culturally diverse markets. He has worked on brands including P&G, Accor, Audi, UBS, Nikon, Samsung, Sony, Pizza Hut, HBO and Singapore Airlines-linked businesses such as Scoot.

Before Apple, Singh led strategy at Falcon Agency, focusing on performance marketing and ROI-driven digital frameworks. He earlier ran the social practice at Publicis Singapore, where he oversaw operations, business development and regional social strategy for multinational clients. His career also includes roles at Ogilvy-linked Circus Social, Rocket Internet ventures Lazada and Zalora, and research firm IDC in Bangkok, where he analysed technology markets and won early awards for collaboration and client retention.

At Apple, he has been close to several service launches and expansions, including Apple Fitness+ in Singapore, Apple Creator Studio, global podcast subscriptions and new App Store marketing tools.

The timing is notable. Apple’s services business has posted record years, and gaming is becoming a sharper battleground as platforms chase engagement and recurring revenue. Singh’s brief sits at the intersection of content, community and commerce.

In a market where attention is scarce and loyalty scarcer, Apple is betting that sharper storytelling and smarter marketing can keep users inside its ecosystem. Singh now holds the megaphone. The real test will be how loudly the world listens.

Applications

Cloud nine in the capital Bharathcloud plugs Delhi into its AI plans

Published

1 week ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Bharathcloud is bringing its cloud closer to power. The Hyderabad-based sovereign AI cloud services provider has opened its Delhi office, marking its formal entry into North India and setting the stage for its next phase of growth.

The expansion comes as India’s digital transformation fuels rising demand for AI-ready cloud infrastructure, driven by wider adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things and data-heavy applications. With the new office, Bharathcloud plans to onboard more than 100 employees in 2026, strengthening its workforce to support customers across government, enterprises, MSMEs and social sectors.

The Delhi presence is expected to sharpen the company’s engagement with organisations seeking secure, scalable and cost-efficient cloud platforms that comply with India’s data sovereignty requirements. It also positions Bharathcloud closer to policy, public sector and enterprise decision-makers in the region.

Founded in Hyderabad, Bharathcloud offers AI-ready cloud infrastructure including Kubernetes-as-a-Service, zero-trust security architecture and multi-level data protection frameworks. Its platform supports AI and ML workloads, blockchain application migration from hyperscalers and distributed data management, with an emphasis on reliability, low latency and operational continuity.

“With the Delhi expansion, we are positioning Bharathcloud to engage more closely with AI-driven enterprises and technology hubs in North India,” said Bharathcloud co-founder Rahul Takallapally. He added that the move would help nurture local cloud and AI talent while accelerating the adoption of secure and resilient AI infrastructure across sectors.

The company currently operates in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Chennai, employing over 200 people and serving more than 1,500 clients across manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, IT and media. Aligned with national initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India, Bharathcloud continues to focus on building indigenous AI-cloud infrastructure to support data localisation and the country’s growing appetite for next-generation digital solutions.

With its Delhi office now live, the company is signalling a clear intent: to make sovereign, AI-ready cloud infrastructure not just an alternative, but a mainstream choice for India’s north as well as its tech capitals.