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Posts tagged "emojis"

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macOS Sonoma 14.4 will bring new emojis and bug fixes soon – here’s how to try the public beta
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A new beta version of macOS Sonoma 14.4 has just been made available for the public, allowing Mac users to get an early look into what the new update may entail in its final form – as well as getting to try out some of the new features and fixes. 

Among the regular refinements and bug fixes we normally see with most small software updates like this, macOS Sonoma 14.4 also offers new emoji characters! The new emojis include a melting face (perfect for a hot day – or a response to bad news on a particularly slow work day), two hands making a little heart, and a moose, amongst others. 

The fixes address some issues reported by testers and developers from the first public beta, which include potential issues with Safari and Messages. I’ve been running on the previous public beta version, and I’ve noticed issues with my messages not syncing between my iPhone 15 and Mac Mini, and since downloading the beta I’ve noticed some improvements with getting notifications and syncing message threads, which is good news for anyone else currently experiencing that issue. 

Want to give it a go yourself? Here’s how

If you’d like to download the public beta of macOS Sonoma 14.4 yourself and give it a go, you can sign up for access straight from your device's settings menu. You can access the public beta by heading over to your System Settings, going to the software update page ‘General’ section of the menu, and clicking on the option labeled ‘Beta updates’. 

Once you do that, a small pop-up will appear to let you decide between enabling developer or public beta updates. We would recommend not selecting the developer option if you’re a regular user planning to try it on your personal Mac or Macbook because beta updates in general can be quite unstable and are not really intended for everyday use – and the developer-targeted version is liable to have even more bugs.

Plus, compared to the public beta versions of updates, developer versions are likely to have features or changes that might never be made available to the public in the long run. Instead, if you enable the public beta of Sonoma 14.4 you can get an early look at features that are more likely to be part of an actual public release. 

Via PC Tablet 

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Windows 11 finally gets its killer feature with emojis for Notepad
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In the latest feature update to Windows 11, you can insert emoji icons into a Notepad file, alongside other new features.

Notepad has not seen improvements since 2006, with a visual update to match Windows Vista. However, Microsoft has now added a dark mode, a new look to align it to other apps in Windows 11, and a redesigned menu to select different fonts.

These updates were released in a February feature update, which also brought the ability to try out Android apps in the Microsoft Store. 

In a detailed blog post by Murray Sargent, Principle Software Engineer at Microsoft, he speaks of the efforts in moving Notepad to a new engine in Windows 11, which brings, most importantly, emoji support.

Analysis: The true Microsoft Word rival?

Notepad emoji picker in Windows 11

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Sure enough, pressing the Windows key and full stop key together in Notepad displays the emoji menu, where you can insert reactions, animals, signs, and more into a document.

Notepad has been a popular app for jotting down quick lists or thoughts for years, which you would then move to an office suite of your choice, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

But Microsoft is making a concerted effort to make Notepad a modern app for Windows 11. The updates are helping to make it a tool for writing more than simple lists and notes, and emojis can be a big appeal to users who haven't used Notepad in years.

The new RichEdit engine that Sargant speaks of in the blog posts allows for features like emojis to appear, but he also talks about what could be possible for the future, such as programming features and web files.

For some use-cases, such as a short report or a chapter to the book you've always wanted to write, the formatting options, thanks to the new engine, could mean that Notepad remains a mainstay on your taskbar for years to come.

But the next question is what Microsoft has in store for Notepad in future versions of Windows 11, or even Windows 12?

Via WindowsLatest

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Microsoft Teams emojis are getting a 3D makeover
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If you're looking for a way to liven up those long Teams calls, then Microsoft may have just the thing: a whole load of refreshed (and colorful) emojis.

The new Fluent Emojis selection gives a whole new look to over 1,800 emojis on Microsoft Teams, which the company says will bring “a modern and delightful new version of the emojis we use every day”.

Along with a host of new additions and makeovers, the new icons will include at least six skin tone options for relevant emojis.

3D emoji in Microsoft Teams

“The emoji has steadily evolved alongside us, acting as essential communicators full of life and color,” Microsoft Art Director & Emojiologist Claire Anderson wrote in a blog post announcing the changes.

“Body language, subtle forms of humor, or environmental conditions — while we can see and respond to those cues those in-person, the loss of them in digital contexts impacts our communication greatly. With emojis, however, a few pixels can telegraph our thoughts and feelings in ways that are fun, clear, and emotionally resonant.”

Anderson noted that emojis are “playful communicators”, making them suitable for work communications, adding, “maybe the vulnerability or levity of emoji can not only open up our own creativity but also encourage space and agency for others in our organization.”

“This is especially relevant as we head further into a hybrid-work world where we meet new team members for the first time online,” she added, revealing Microsoft is also working on some new concept emojis that show hybrid working scenes such as “you’re on mute”, “no camera day”, and “parenting-while-working”.

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The new emojis are available now on Microsoft Teams for desktop, web, mobile, and Meetings, and are are enabled by default, so you won't need to fiddle around to activate them.

Users should therefore see an immediate update to the new Fluent style, which also encompasses “delightful” animations on certain emojis. Microsoft adds that reactions in chat, channels, and live meetings will update to the new Fluent style.

The news follows a similar recent announcement that the company is working on a “Microsoft Teams Expanded Reactions” feature that will “allow users to apply any emoji as a reaction to chat messages”.

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This browser now lets your web addresses just be emojis
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Following the release of its dedicated crypto browser, Opera is innovating once again by becoming the first browser to enable emoji-only based web addresses.

This marks the first time in the history of the internet that users will be able to navigate to websites by entering a string of emoji into the URL bar instead of letters and words.

The addition of emoji in Opera was made possible through a partnership with Yat which allows users to own personalized strings of emoji. EVP of Mobile at Opera, Jorgen Arnesen provided further details on this new partnership in a press release, saying:

“The partnership marks a major paradigm shift in the way the internet works. It's been almost 30 years since the world wide web launched to the public, and there hasn't been much innovation in the weblink space: people still include .com in their URLs. Through the integration with Yat, Opera users are able to ditch .com or even words in their links and use only emojis to be directed to websites. It's new, it's easier and more fun”

Opera emoji integration

Through its new emoji-centric integration, Opera has now made it easier for all Internet users to find and be directed to Yat pages which are unique domains generated when a Yat is created from a personalized string of emoji.

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Users can customize their Yat page or have it redirect to anywhere else on the web. For instance, musicians around the world have already set up their own Yat pages including Lil Wayne whose page directs users to his record label or Steve Aoki who has his redirect to his website. Additionally, G-Easy, Kesha, Young Money, 3Lau and Disclosure are also using Yat as well.

Following this new integration, Yat emoji web addresses on Opera no longer need to be followed by “.y.at”. At the same time, strings of emoji embedded on web pages now link to the corresponding Yat page automatically.

As 90 percent of world's 4.6bn internet users worldwide already use emoji to express themselves according to Brandwatch, Opera's integration of Yats unlocks a new way for people to be present on the web. Interested users can find out even more about using emoji in Opera by checking out this blog post.

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