Apple & Microsoft reportedly block new gun & rifle emoji from next update
Apple has reportedly blocked two new emoji - both of which feature guns -
ahead of next week's proposed Unicode 9.0 update.
The two characters, originally slated to roll out with 72 new symbols
<http://mashable.com/2016/06/03/72-new-emoji/> , were a rifle and a "modern
pentathlon" icon, which depicted a man shooting a gun.
According to Buzzfeed
<https://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/thanks-to-apples-influence-youre-not
-getting-a-rifle-emoji?utm_term=.vrjYJYz59L#.qe73x3QRNB> , the tech giant
started the conversation to remove the two characters from the 9.0 update
during a meeting with Unicode Consortium in May, with Apple reps making it
clear the firm would not support a rifle on its platforms and asking for the
emoji to be excluded from the list of candidates.
Apple declined to comment, while Unicode president Mark Davis confirmed that
"the committee decided not to mark them as Emoji, but to add them as
characters (that is, normal black & white symbols)".
Both symbols - which can be seen on an archived version of Unicode's emoji
candidates page
<https://web.archive.org/web/20160411013219/http:/www.unicode.org/emoji/char
ts/emoji-candidates.html> - were apparently originally proposed because of
the upcoming Olympic Games.
The news that they would not be featured in the upcoming emoji update
sparked debate on Twitter, with some users pointing out it's harder to get
their hands on a gun emoji than a real gun in some countries - an especially
potent topic in the wake of the Orlando shootings.
Apple won't let you delete pre-installed iPhone apps after all
it was announced that the new iOS 10 would finally let you delete Apple's
pre-installed apps, the world rejoiced - we could finally be rid of the apps
we never used.
The celebration turned out to be short lived, sadly as it turns out you
can't fully delete the apps, but only hide them.
Apple's senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said
in a Daring Fireball <http://daringfireball.net/live/> podcast, that the
apps could be hidden, but not 100% deleted. And will still technically be on
the phone.
The pre-installed apps take up 150MB of space, which isn't a huge amount,
but still a bit annoying if the apps go unused.
But you should be aware that hiding the apps does stop some features.
For example, if you 'delete' the Calendar app, Siri will not be able to add
an event to the Calendar, as it will be hidden. Makes sense, really.
But don't worry if you hastily delete an app in anger - iOS 10 will still
give you the option to restore it. Find out whether your phone will be
compatible with the iOS
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/feature/a797747/ios-10-compatibility-w
ill-your-iphone-and-ipad-support-the-new-ios-10-update/> 10 upgrade here.
It's also good news for updates. As the pre-installed apps are no longer
part of the core operating system, they can be updated regularly through the
App Store.
All this comes before the launch of the new iPhone 7
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/feature/a670501/iphone-7-release-date-
rumours-news-specs-price-and-everything-you-need-to-know/> , which looks to
be pretty fantastic. There are a lot of reasons to be excited about Apple at
the moment.
Are Apple looking to keep the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 after all?
While we're still many moons away from anything official when it comes to
the iPhone 7
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/feature/a670501/iphone-7-release-date-
rumours-news-specs-price-and-everything-you-need-to-know/> , one of the most
persistent rumours has been the removal of the smartphone's headphone jack.
The latest rumours, though, suggest Apple
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/> may not be quite ready to ditch the
separate port just yet.
Rock Fix, a smartphone repair shop based in China's Ganzhou, has recently
posted photos of alleged iPhone 7 components. One of these is apparently
More recently, the shop also shared photos of what it claims to be the next
iPhone's dual-SIM trays, which would be a first for Apple, if true.
Other parts shown off by Rock Fix include some screen panels in the usual
two sizes, SanDisk memory chips of up to a whopping 256GB, plus a dual-lens
camera for the Plus/Pro model.
If a repair shop's reliability is anything to go by (it probably isn't),
this would result in all the proposed Lightning headphones and ugly adaptors
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/news/a796078/could-the-upcoming-iphone
-7-be-ruined-by-the-need-for-this-ugly-headphone-adapter/> becoming
relatively useless.
The iPhone 7 is apparently ready for release
Apple has apparently started mass-production of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/feature/a670501/iphone-7-release-date-
rumours-news-specs-price-and-everything-you-need-to-know/> .
Journalist and reputable leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer has claimed that
production of the final model has begun at the Pegatron factory.
"Mass production of 4.7" #iPhone7 has slowly started at Pegatron factory
(where the 5.5" model won't be assembled," he wrote.
Pegatron is one of Apple's primary manufacturing partners, along with
Foxconn who Hemmerstoffer previously alleged had won the contract for the
larger model of the iPhone 7.
The iPhone 7 is expected to be unveiled by Apple at its annual September
product launch and if that's the case, it could match that they'd now be
entering the mass-production stage.
Last week, one render gave us an idea of what the phone may look like
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/news/a797619/is-this-what-the-new-deep
-blue-iphone-7-colour-will-look-like/> after rumours suggested it will
ditch the Space Grey colour in favour of a 'Deep Blue'
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/news/a797244/the-upcoming-iphone-7-may
-come-in-deep-blue/> .
Meanwhile, other rumours suggest that the iPhone 7's camera may fully
embrace optical image stabilisation
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/news/a794997/iphone-7-camera-looks-to-
be-something-special/> and also could have two rear cameras
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/news/a796580/iphone-7-case-leak-featur
e-two-rear-cameras/> .
