Apple celebrates Emoji Day with 70 new emoji across its platforms

As emoji continue to proliferate as one of the preferred ways to communicate, the need for more specific and more inclusive emoji continues to grow. Apple is giving users of iOS and Mac OS 70 new emoji to express themselves better including a range of Canada-specific icons. Some Canadiana-focused Emoji include a lobster, bagel, racoon, hiking boot and cold face.

More than 70 new emoji characters are coming to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac later this year in a free software update. The new emoji designs, created based on approved characters in Unicode 11.0, include even more hair options to better represent people with red hair, grey hair and curly hair, a new emoji for bald people, and new smiley faces that bring more expression to Messages with a cold face, party face, pleading face and a face with hearts.

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Apple TV app has a solution to watching Wimbledon Men's and World Cup Finals concurrently

Sports fans will have a quandary on Sunday July 15 when the World Cup final game between France and Croatia conincides with the Wimbledon Men's Final match. Apple TV App has a solution. 

Anyone with an iPhone, iPad or Apple TV can use the Apple TV App to easily access either broadcast, while also receiving real-time notifications if either match gets super close. The Apple TV App gives viewers an easy way to switch between both telecasts, right when the action demands it. 

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Apple earmarks $300 million for sustainable energy projects in China

Apple just announced a $300 Million  renewable energy fund in China to connect suppliers with renewable energy sources. Apple manufactures the majority of its products in China.

The fund will invest in and develop clean energy projects totaling more than 1 gigawatt of renewable energy in China, the equivalent of powering nearly 1 million homes.

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Ontario government shuts down EV and hydrogen vehicle incentive programs

Vehicles purchased on or before July 11 are eligible and still have 60 days to apply.

Ontario's new conservative government has shut down all incentives for electric vehicle charging stations according to the Ministry of Transportation. The timing of this comes just as the sales of EVs and hybrids are at an upswing with more models. The arrival of the more affordable Tesla Model 3 has generated a lot of sales but a lot of those buyers were counting on the provincial incentives to help defer the costs of their vehicles. This is a step back towards the adoption of EVs in Canada.

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