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Emojis for zombies, T-Rex and Colbert are almost here
Your phone chats are about to get more... fantastical. Right on cue, the Unicode Consortium has released its promised batch of emoji and text characters. The finalized set of 56 emoji (up from 48 when we last reported) includes a slew of outlandish people and beasts, including zombies, vampires, fairies and dinosaurs. It also does more to accommodate women with emoji for breastfeeding and the hijab, while Stephen Colbert fans might be happy with the familiar-looking raised eyebrow (second from the upper left).
New emoji will include a woman with a headscarf
Unicode, the controlling group behind the emojis populating our phones and computers, has been working to make emoji more diverse in recent years. A whole host of skin colors have been added, and Google recently proposed adding more options for working women. In the latest draft of new proposed emoji for Unicode 10.0, there's another sign of the times: the next emoji release should include a woman wearing a headscarf (known as a hijab when worn by Muslim women).
Unicode's next emoji update focuses on gender and jobs
The latest proposed updates to Unicode's emoji rules add a handful of dual-gendered jobs and give basically every human emoji both male and female versions, Emojipedia reports. Those two ladies dancing in bunny ears? Now there's a male version. The policeman's face? Emoji 4.0 adds a female option. The beta of iOS 10 already showcases these changes, despite the fact that Emoji 4.0 is still in draft form for two more months, during which period the public can provide feedback to Unicode.
Apple drops the gun emoji for a friendlier water pistol
The news is awash in the shootings of police officers and unarmed black men, and individuals opening fire in nightclubs and public party events. In an effort to stop promoting gun violence, Apple is replacing its gun emoji with a friendlier-looking water pistol. In place of the old black and silver revolver is a bright green and orange water gun that looks very distinctly like a harmless toy.
Google's emoji for working women get thumbs up from Unicode
Back in May, Google proposed a set of emoji that would offer options that depict careers of professional women with a range of races and ethnicities. Today, the company announced that Unicode, the organization that (among other things) handles the decisions for all things emjoi, agreed to 11 new professional options that showcase a range of jobs for both men and women. And yes, they'll be available in all of the existing skin tones. This means that the group adds more than 100 new emoji to the existing Unicode library.
Apple and Microsoft reportedly vetoed a rifle emoji
Like it or not, emojis are permeating our vocabulary and fast becoming one of the primary ways people communicate. But if you were looking to convey your thoughts on rifles or hunting, you're out of luck.
Facepalm, selfie and shrug emoji are on the way
The annual additions to Unicode emoji library have been approved, which means 72 new tiny pictures are headed to your phone. When version 9.0 is released in June, selfie, shrug, facepalm, bacon, cucumber, avocado and dozens more new emoji will make the cut. Just in time for the Rio Olympics this summer, a smattering of event-related options and medals will also join the thousands of images that already exist. Even though the new additions will be included in Unicode this month, you'll still have to wait until companies include them in their mobile software. The good news is new versions of Android and iOS are both due this fall.
Google wants emoji that give working women their due
Take a look at your phone's emoji list. Notice how the only people representing jobs (such as police officers and construction workers) are men, while women are limited to brides and princesses? Some Google developers aren't happy with that one-sided state of affairs. They've proposed a new set of Unicode emoji that better represent women in professional roles. Their 13 new emoji would show both men and women in very well-known industries, ranging from tech (our favorite) to farming to rock stars. They hope that this gives young women a subtle confidence boost -- if it's no big deal to use the emoji for a female software engineer, there won't be as much of a stigma around becoming a software engineer.
Android's new emoji arrive next week on Nexus devices
Android head Hiroshi Lockheimer said new emoji were on the way, and now they're right around the corner. The Google exec revealed that next week Nexus devices will be updated with the new taco, unicorn and lion face emoji that are part of the Unicode 8.0 standard. The change will require a "new keyboard, new font, new code" so it means a full system upgrade is on the way (as far as any other changes, Lockheimer is declining to "ruin the surprise"). If you don't have a Nexus phone, you'll have to wait for your manufacturer to push the upgrade... eventually. No matter how long that takes, emoji addicts will be happy to see Android picking up the pace on its Unicode support, following Apple which added the latest standard to iOS 9.1 and OS X El Capitan.
Durex thinks a condom emoji can help promote safe sex
Look, there's already a taco emoji, so it doesn't seem far fetched to have one that represents a condom as well. After all, despite their obvious differences, they both have something in common: pleasure. That's why Durex, a brand of male contraceptives, is hard at work advocating for a condom emoji. "An official safe sex emoji will enable young people to overcome embarrassment around the discussion of safe sex," the company says, adding that it can "encourage conversation and raise awareness of the importance of using condoms in protecting against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV and AIDS."
Tacos, burritos and unicorn emoji are coming, thanks to Unicode 8.0
The Unicode Consortium unveiled its new emoji set as part of the standard's version 8.0 update on Wednesday. Yes, that taco emoji we've all been waiting for on bated breath has arrived and lo, it is glorious. Other food-related icons include taco's big brother, the burrito, as well as a hot dog, popcorn and a cheese wedge. Inedible emoji like a Unicorn head, prayer beads and a volleyball are also available. Surprisingly though, no hotdog pizza emoji just yet -- probably because we're not sure yet if they're ok for human consumption.
Apple's newest iOS and Mac betas let you use diverse emoji
If you're disappointed that current emoji characters don't reflect your skin tone, don't worry: Apple is getting ready to accommodate you. Both the latest betas of iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3 include modifiers that let you choose the skin color of some icons. There are more flags, too. And Apple couldn't resist being cheeky -- you'll now see an Apple Watch in place of an ordinary timepiece, just as it already replaces generic phone pictures with an iPhone.
Yum, your next favorite emoji could be a delicious taco
Okay, people, you know emojis are a big deal -- so big, in fact, that there's a social network composed entirely of these virtual characters. And even though it isn't too hard to come across different kinds of emoji on the internet, there are specific guidelines to follow in order for them to be considered official. The Unicode Consortium is responsible for making the call on this -- in short, that's who you have to thank for those "praying hands" you love using. For 2015, Unicode has accepted 37 new candidates for consideration, meaning that you could end up seeing some in your smartphone's stock emoji keyboard one day in the near future.
Emoji characters are getting skin tones to reflect human diversity
Remember how companies were working with the Unicode Consortium to get more diversity into the emoji characters you use? Well, there's now a clue as to how those more accommodating characters are likely to work. A newly proposed update from Apple and Google would build a skin tone modifier into Unicode; you'd only have to add it to existing emoji to change skin color and better reflect your identity. The technique would be easy to implement on a phone (a press-and-hold button would work), and it would fall back gracefully when you're chatting with someone whose phone can't handle the new code. The Consortium still has to accept and implement the new emoji before you'll see them, but it's hard to see the organization turning down such a straightforward approach.
Google now rejects scam email that tricks you using non-Latin characters
Google did a favor for Gmail users worldwide when it added support for non-Latin characters in email addresses. However, it also opened up a can of worms -- scammers can write from addresses that seem legitimate, but are really using non-native letters to (potentially) fool you into trusting a message's contents. Thankfully, the crew in Mountain View is already aware of the threat. Gmail now tosses out email with odd combinations of letters that are likely to represent phishing attempts, reducing the chances that you'll hand your account details to a "bɑnk" instead of your actual bank. The filtering relies on a Unicode standard, too, so you'll know the exact criteria Google is using. Other email providers will have to follow suit for the measure to really hit data thieves where it hurts, but this represents an important first step.
New emojis let you throw shade with a single symbol
Someone once said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so a smiling, yellow face is probably worth at least 160 characters. If you ever found the current run of emoji a little too stifling, some 250 new ones could be en route to help recreate the rest of your favorite album covers. But don't check your Android or iOS device for shiny turds and other icons just yet, because, as The Verge points out, it's up to those platforms to implement the Unicode Consortium's new symbols on their own. Given Apple's push for more diversity in emoji, that could happen sooner than you think. Just what new glyphs are there, though? Alongside some slightly more aggressive icons, a printer, trackball and "old personal computer" are among the lengthy list over on Emojipedia. You know, technology that teenagers know all about. Once you start seeing the likes of those (and the Vulcan split-finger greeting) popping up in Snapchat and elsewhere on your phone, you'll know who to thank.
Apple is working on getting more diversity into its emoji characters
Sometimes, the awkward white lady with hand to the side emoji doesn't quite represent, or express, who's using an iPhone -- and it's been that way for quite a while. Good news, then, that Apple is apparently working with the Unicode Consortium in an effort to bring more breadth to the emoji pictures it can offer. Katie Cotton, Apple's VP of Corporate Communications, explains in an email reply to MTV Act's Joey Parker, who raised the issue: "Our emoji characters are based on the Unicode standard, which is necessary for them to be displayed properly across many platforms. There needs to be more diversity in the emoji character set, and we have been working closely with the Unicode Consortium in an effort to update the standard." There's no firm date for an emoji upgrade until the Unicode issue is sorted, so for now, well, there's stickers elsewhere. (Update: There's also been a recent groundswell for the less important addition of a hot-dog emoji.)
This is the most important Mavericks keyboard shortcut you'll discover all day
Mavericks' new Control-Command-Space bar shortcut came up once again during conversation in the TUAW chat room this morning. Once again, I was surprised that this cool little trick isn't universally known. As a public service announcement, we'd like to continue to spread the word about this delightful shortcut. Get yourself over to any text entry field on your Mavericks Mac and give it a try by pressing Control and Command together and then tap the space bar. The resulting pop-up provides easy access to smilies and emoji that you can drag to your favorite app. To Emoji and Beyond There are a few really cool (and not immediately obvious) additional uses for this that you might not be familiar with, even if you're already using the pop-up. See the up-arrow at the top-center of the pop-up? Pull the dialog away from the text entry and the entire window switches to a free-floating Character entry palette, like you see below. This allows you to move the palette out of the way, but keep it on-hand for repeated use. Very handy, especially when sending an iMessage to your BFF. Searching for Characters Now see the button at the top-right of the palette? A single click converts the palette into the more classic form of the Characters window you might be familiar with from OS X Mountain Lion and earlier. Use the search field to find exactly the kind of pictograph you're looking for. Keep your search phrase as general as possible. A search for "triangle," for example, returns a lot more possibilities than "left triangle." Once you've found the item you wish to insert, just drag it from the center pane within the Characters window to whatever text you're editing. Adding Favorites You can click the Add to Favorites button for any pictograph to add often-used symbols to the main display of your Characters palette. Once added, these items appear beneath the most recently used items list. To add or remove items from your favorites list, you need to be using the old-style Characters window, which you access from that top-right button. Use the Add to Favorites and Remove from Favorites buttons when you view individual items. After defining at least one favorite, a complete list of favorites appears at the top-left of the Characters window, just below the Recently Used list. All favorites edits are reflected in the pop-up, but there's one more step you need. To return to the pop-up, don't forget to revert from the classic view by once again clicking the button at the top-right of the Characters window. Unicode Information for Programmers But wait! There's more! If you right-click (or control-click) the character, you can copy the character info to the system pasteboard. Then just paste it into TextEdit or your notepad. 😁 GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES Unicode: U+1F601 (U+D83D U+DE01), UTF-8: F0 9F 98 81 From there, you gain easy access to the exact Unicode information for the symbol, which (if you're a developer, who needs this kind of thing) is an absolute gift for programming. As promised, here's that most important tip for today: Search the Character Editor for "PILE OF POO" and favorite it for easy access. You'll be glad you did.
Mac 101: Inserting or typing uncommon characters
As a Mac consultant, I'm often asked some pretty bizarre questions. One that I frequently hear is "How do I type <some special character> on my Mac?" A good example of this is people who want to type fractions that look like this -- ½ -- rather than like 1/2, or plop a character like an umbrella -- ☂ -- or a skull and crossbones -- ☠ -- in the middle of a sentence. It's actually quite easy to do this, although finding these uncommon characters isn't something that's readily apparent, especially to new Mac users. Follow along as I show you how to insert or type characters that won't be found on your keyboard.
Ask TUAW: Arabic Mail, playing Wii, calibrating color and more
Wednesday means it is Ask TUAW time! This week we'll look at questions about Arabic support in Mail.app, playing a Wii on a Mac, Digital Color Calibration, problems copying from Firefox and much more. As always, please leave your own comments, and ask more questions for next week either in the comments to this post or using the tip form. Now let's dive right in!
