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Tinder petitions for an interracial couple emoji

Love is universal and technology is for everyone

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When Unicode released 161 new emoji early this year, we all thought of it as a step towards embracing diversity. We have people of color, redheads, and same-sex couples added to the official emoji catalog. But we’ve been missing one — interracial couples.

Tinder launched a campaign called #RepresentLove last February 27, in collaboration with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Emojination founder Jennifer 8. Lee, with the goal of petitioning Unicode to introduce an interracial couple emoji.

Image by Tinder

In a recent study, Tinder and other popular dating apps may be responsible for an increase in interracial marriages. The research showed that online dating and interracial relationships go hand in hand. It may be true since dating apps are now a platform for us to meet anyone, anywhere in the world. In one swipe, we can connect with someone even from a completely different background.

Why is Tinder petitioning?

Tinder stated that the study inspired them to be at the forefront of creating change. They surveyed their users to find out how they think, feel, and connect.

The results were announced alongside the campaign, with vague information on numbers such as “72 percent believe Tinder is the most racially diverse dating app,” “77 percent of Tinder users say they’re more open-minded about who they date,” and “66 percent of global respondents who dated someone of a different race said it enabled them to experience places they weren’t previously aware of.”

I’m cynical when it comes to numbers, but I appreciate the effort to promote diversity. Our times are changing, and we’re becoming more accepting with the differences in racial and ethnic backgrounds. The tech world might still have a long way to overcome these boundaries but this campaign is a big leap into making technology for everyone.

The campaign website acknowledged the long process which starts from Unicode Consortium (the governing body of all things emoji) accepting the petition. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other platforms will modify their emoji once the proposal has been approved.

If you believe in Tinder’s outcry and that love is universal, let’s stand together with Tinder and #RepresentLove. The petition already garnered 10,000 signatures as of writing.

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New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

Rolling out globally now

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New users on X might soon face a tough time on the platform. The social media website will likely start charging new accounts a small fee for the right to post on the platform.

Now, the fee isn’t a new one. Almost six months ago, the company tested the paid system in New Zealand and the Philippines. New users in those countries had to pay a dollar per year for the ability to post and reply to content.

As spotted by X Daily News on the same platform, the company might be ready to take the experiment to a larger market. New text strings have shown that the policy is rolling out worldwide.

The policy is designed to combat a wave of bots appearing on the platform. By preventing new accounts from creating posts, X hopes to stave off the standard behavior of bots these days. You might have noticed them as OnlyFans creators in unrelated posts, peddling NSFW content on their bio.

Though the global rollout was only just spotted, owner Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed the change. Replying to X Daily News, Musk says that it is “the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.” He says that the current breed of bots can easily bypass simple checks these days.

SEE ALSO: X will no longer let you hide your blue checkmark

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Disney+ might get always-on channels similar to cable TV

Featuring content from Marvel, Star Wars, and classic Disney

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Disney+ | Disney Plus

The burden of choice on streaming platforms is real. If you’re like us, you’ve spent hours just mindlessly scrolling through titles on Netflix or Disney+ without watching anything. Netflix, at least, has a Play Something button to fight off that irresistible urge. Now, Disney+ is reportedly trying something different: always-on channels.

If you already cut cable from your lives, you’re likely missing traditional channels or networks that have pre-determined programming. It was a flawed system that eventually ended up with mediocre content and a downpour of ads. However, cable did allow us to keep watching without deciding what comes next.

Now, according to The Information, Disney+ is working on adding those channels to its streaming service. Naturally, these channels will include content from the platform’s library such as Marvel, Star Wars, and its list of classic animated films.

Strangely, the reported feature might still have ads in between programs. Though the addition of ads does mean a better similarity with real television, users still have to be paying subscribers to access the channels. Even if you’re already paying for Disney+, you might still get hit with ads.

Disney has not confirmed the reports yet. The platform might launch a version of the feature outside of the scope included in this report. It’s also unknown when these always-on channels will launch.

SEE ALSO: Macross to be available on Disney+

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Google might offer satellite connectivity soon

Starting with the Pixel 9 series

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A few years ago, Apple unleashed one of the most interesting features for the iPhone today: Emergency SOS. Designed for those who like their fair bit of the outdoors, Emergency SOS allows users to contact emergency services without network coverage. Other manufacturers, however, are struggling to adopt the same feature. Now, Google might soon join Apple in providing satellite connectivity for its users.

Despite the convenience, satellite connectivity hasn’t taken off as much as the industry expected it to. For one, a network of satellites isn’t the easiest thing to maintain. Apple is still currently offering its services for free, a gamble that may or may not pay off. Now, the iPhone maker won’t be alone.

According to Android Authority, Google might start offering the same service to Pixel 9 users. Starting with this year’s upcoming flagship, the company is reportedly teaming up with T-Mobile to create satellite connectivity for its users. The telecommunications network is teaming up with SpaceX for the feature.

The same report describes how the feature might work. Once activated, the feature will ask users of their situation: is everyone breathing, are people trapped, are weapons involved, among others. The phone will then relay this information to emergency authorities for a rapid response.

Unfortunately, pricing remains a mystery. While Apple is still offering its satellite connectivity for free, other brands might put the burden of cost on the end user. Hopefully, they won’t, but a paid version is unfortunately expected at this point.

SEE ALSO: Should you be excited for Apple’s satellite connectivity?

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