logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2021
23m 55s

Two smiley faces: Episode three

Bbc World Service
About this episode

We travel to California to find out who controls the emoji available on every single smartphone in the world - the mysterious Unicode Consortium. This secretive organisation decides what is included and what is left off the official emoji keyboard. But are they up to the job? Not everyone is convinced. Presenter: Sarah Treanor and Vivienne Nunis Producer: Sarah Treanor

Up next
Yesterday
Tackling loneliness in India
India is known for its close knit families and communities, but modern work practices mean more and more people are living far from home, and suffering from loneliness. Reporter Sumedha Pal in Dehli shares the stories of some of the people in India who are trying to find creative ... Show More
26m 28s
Yesterday
Trump and autism: People affected speak out
President Donald Trump recently addressed what he described as the “horrible crisis” in autism, and rapid rise in reported cases over the last two decades. Previously, he has suggested a link between some vaccines and autism, and in his latest remarks, he warned pregnant women to ... Show More
22m 58s
Oct 10
Searching for hope as a hostage in Gaza
After two long years President Trump has announced a ceasefire agreement which should see the remaining hostages returned home in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. How have the families of Israeli hostages and their loved ones, held captive in dark tunnels for hu ... Show More
26m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2020
Émojis au travail : mode d'emploi
Si les émojis parsèment les messages que nous envoyons à nos proches, qu’en est-il dans le cadre professionnel ? Un petit sourire dans un email à un·e collègue, ça peut permettre d’humaniser les relations, et de renforcer le lien au sein des équipes. Mais parfois, l’émoji peut êt ... Show More
23m 49s
Nov 2022
Who invented emoji?
Emoji are those little images you can send in text messages to friends and family. Nine-year-old Leila in New Jersey wants to know how they were invented. So in this episode we find out with Jane Solomon, editor at Emojipedia and Paul Galloway of the Museum of Modern Art in New Y ... Show More
21m 12s
May 2020
534: The Business of Emoji, with Jeremy Burge
Emojipedia founder Jeremy Burge joins David and Stephen to talk about emoji, how they're made and why they've found such huge success. Then, he explains how tech needs change when one lives on a ⛵. This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by: TextExpander from Smile: ... Show More
1h 26m
Apr 2024
Left the Chat: No 1. Whatsapp Mishaps
In 1998, Helen’s family got their first home computer - and she logged on to chat with existing friends and strangers she met online. Since then, instant messaging has taken over our lives, with an estimated 2.7 billion users on WhatsApp alone. But what is happening in the secrec ... Show More
28m 37s
Jul 2023
Curiology (EMOJI) Part 2 with Various Emoji Experts
The thrilling conclusion of all-things-emoji! Eggplants, peaches, jumping ska dudes, gray hearts, family emojis, what NOT to text your Southern Italian friends, yellow hands, red hair, the birth of the smiley face and how to celebrate World Emoji Day on July 17 with Emojipedia fo ... Show More
1h 11m
Aug 2017
Person in Lotus Position
Tech analysts estimate that over six billion emojis are sent each day. Emojis, which started off as a collection of low-resolution pixelated images from Japan, have become a well-established and graphically sophisticated part of everyday global communication. But who decides what ... Show More
28m 1s
Nov 2023
The secret life of Chinese social media apps
Canada has banned the all-in-one Chinese social media app, WeChat, on government devices. Even though TikTok has received loads of attention for potential security risks, many security experts think that WeChat is riskier. James Clayton, our North America Tech Reporter, explains. ... Show More
15m 48s
Jul 2023
Curiology (EMOJI) Part 1 with Various Emoji Experts
Thumbs up? Thumbs down. Skulls of joy. And so many expressions of pain and comfort. This, my babies, is the  -ology that sparked this whole podcast. Curiology means “writing with pictures” but will certified emoji experts agree that they are curiologists? Listen in for behind-the ... Show More
1h 18m
Aug 2022
Emoji Etiquette & Things That Seemed Gay As A Kid | BFBA Episode 17
Do you know how many swirls there are on the poop emoji? Did Stevie castrate her Ken doll when she was a child? On today’s episode of BFBA, the duo talks all things emoji: the years-long approval process, usage and etiquette (do NOT send Stevie a smiley face), and Stevie brings a ... Show More
1h 16m