Apple’s beta release of iOS 14.5 includes a preview of new emoji coming in the spring, including a heart on fire, an exhaling face and more skin tone variations for emoji. Changes have also been made to the syringe emoji, removing blood to make it more useful for depicting COVID-19 vaccines.

Eliminating the blood from the syringe emoji makes it more appropriate to represent COVID-19 vaccination, said Jeremy Burge, the chief emoji officer of Emojipedia, an online emoji dictionary. He also said the change doesn’t prevent the emoji from being used to represent donating blood. The move to make the emoji less graphic comes amid the largest vaccine rollout in the world.

“Removing the blood makes this emoji more versatile, and also might remove any misconception that vaccination involves blood,” said Burge. “Whether this directly impacts how the emoji is used or if it assists vaccination rates we don’t yet know, but it shouldn’t hurt.”

The iPhone maker also tweaked the headphones emoji, making it resemble its new AirPods Max, and added helmets to emoji depicting people climbing. Other additions include gender options for people with beards, a face in the clouds and a face with spiral eyes. Apple has placed a greater emphasis on adding more inclusive and gender-neutral emoji. (SD-Agencies)

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD

Across: 2.bog, 5.plea, 6.ripe, 7.sea, 8.apes, 10.mime, 13.lift, 16.bean, 18.uke, 19.blur, 20.lied, 21.nil

Down: 1.flap, 2.bass, 3.gram, 4.spam, 8.all, 9.elf, 11.I’ve, 12.eon, 14.isle, 15.turn, 16.bell, 17.amen