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Will dancing emoji find a partner? Unicode considers 38 new designs

Shark, selfie and carrot emojis being mooted for release in 2016 – but there’s still no sign of the elusive redhead

Thirty eight new emoji are under consideration by the Unicode Consortium, the organisation which designs and approves emoji, for inclusion in its next release.

New emoji candidates include a pregnant woman, bacon and a partner for the dancing emoji woman in the red dress.

Unicode 9, an updated official list of approved emoji, is expected to be released around the summer of 2016. Once a Unicode update is released, Apple, Google and Microsoft are free to design the new emoji to add to their operating systems (hence why emoji vary between platforms).

In addition to the 38 emoji to reach the “candidate stage” of consideration, 15 more emoji have also been submitted to the Consortium. It is likely that not all will make the cut for next year.

The full list of prospective emoji can be found at Emojipedia, but examples include: shark, carrot and a person taking a selfie. The bride, Santa Claus and the dancing woman in red dress would all find partners. The website dedicated to all things emoji has even mocked up what some of the new additions might look like.

However, even with official approval under Unicode 9, unless the technology companies decide to implement the new characters, they may never be usable.

Unicode 8, which was approved in June 2015, and included 37 new emoji (examples: a taco and unicorn), has not been picked up by Apple, Google or Microsoft – with the exception of the set of racially diverse emoji.

We are bereft to report that, yet again, no redhead emoji is included in the list under consideration.

Which emoji would you like to see produced? Give Comments

Why Are Cats Attracted to People Who Don’t Like Them?

One of the ironies of cat behavior is how cats are attracted to people who don't like them. By deconstructing the behavior of cat haters, we cat lovers can learn a thing or two.

When humans don't care for cats, they try to avoid looking at them and at the same time keep an eye on them. They want to make sure that the cat isn't coming … Oh damn, here it comes, rubbing on my leg, jumping in my lap, purring.

Let's look at this from the cat's point of view. All aggression in the feline world starts with staring. Polite cats are demure; they look briefly and then look away. So when you meet a cat you want to be friends with, note its location in the room and avert your eyes.

When humans don't like cats, they try not to pet them. If the cat comes over, the person might instinctively pet it once, then he withdraws his hand and hopes the cat will go away. Of course, playing hard-to-get with a cat is one of the best ways to make friends. So if you want to be friends with a new cat, let it approach, offer your knuckle, and let the cat get your smell and pet itself against you (she will push into your knuckle and run her cheek along it). Then ignore her for a couple minutes while she sniffs your legs.

Once the cat has decided you are worthy, you can move to the next step: the full-stop pet. To do this, stroke the cat from the top of its head all the way off the tail. As you reach the end, gently cup your hand around the tail and continue the stroke as if the tail was 3 or 4 inches longer than it is. Do this just once. The cat will expect you to start another stroke at its head—but you don't. This unmet anticipation gets into the cat, like a repeating song lyric, and it will all but demand you pet it again. After a few minutes, you can do so, maybe even two or three times. The goal is to interrupt the petting when the cat expects more. Dirty pool—but very effective.

Finally, when you see a cat the second time, nod your head subtly at it when you enter the room. The cat will probably move its head in a similar way. Go through the demure look, the presentation of the knuckle, and the full-stop pet. At this point you are acquaintances with promise. You are ready to take it to the next level: the long blink.

Here Are the Things you should know about Walt Disney Co. earnings...



Walt Disney Co., the world's largest entertainment firm, has turned in another strong fiscal quarter, setting a new record for quarterly profit.

The Burbank company reported net income of $2.483 billion in its fiscal third quarter, up 11% from a year earlier. Revenue rose 5% to $13.1 billion.

Here are five noteworthy elements of the company's results, which cover the three-month period ending June 27.

Walt Disney Co. earnings: 5 things to know