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Emoji have a 5,000 year history: Listen to this to find out how

Jun29
by on June 29, 2015 at 8:58 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Emoji, listening, Podcast, Shareables, The Allusionist

Screenshot 2015-06-29 09.35.45
The Allusionist is a great podcast about language and its latest episode is a must listen for anyone who loves or loathes emoji. We write about them a lot here but rarely explore their connection to cuneiform, the writing system developed by the ancient Sumerians, or medieval marginalia. Have you heard of the Luttrell Psalter, littered with bat and flower ’emoji’? The episode will only take up 16.54 minutes of your time and there’s an excellent list of further reading here. ➤ The Allusionist Read next: Emoji are not the future of language, they’re too small to contain our imaginations Image credit: The Luttrell Psalter: Psalm…

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Facebook officially launches its 2G-friendly Lite app for Android in India and the Philippines

Jun29
by on June 29, 2015 at 7:21 am
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Asia, Facebook Lite, India

TNW Facebook Lite
Facebook has officially launched its Lite app for Android users in India and the Philippines. It’s designed to provide the social network’s core experience reliably on spotty and slow mobile connections. The app has been in testing since January in various emerging markets, and was soft-launched earlier this month in selected countries. Facebook claims it has 114 million active mobile users in India. Facebook Lite in action Facebook says its Lite app is quicker than its main mobile app over 2G because its servers take on the burden of optimizing content. The app weighs in at just 430 KB, making…

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Apple Music will let you stream 100,000 of your own tracks when iOS 9 launches

Jun29
by on June 29, 2015 at 4:37 am
Posted In: Apple Music, Around the Web, Insider, streaming

Apple Music
As the launch date for Apple’s new streaming music service draws nearer, senior vice president of internet software and services Eddy Cue tweeted that it will allow users to upload 25,000 of their own songs to the company’s cloud storage service on June 30, and expand that to 100,000 songs by the time iOS 9 ships. That’s similar to Apple’s iTunes Match service, which lets you upload 25,000 tracks — including songs you purchased outside of iTunes — to iCloud for streaming at any time. @karlfranks @robmsimoes 25k for launch and working to get to 100k for iOS 9 — Eddy Cue…

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