Microsoft Officially Permanently Disabled Internet Explorer and Apple Gave a First Look at the iOS 16.4 Emojis in This Week’s Tech Roundup

This week, tech users encountered a series of updates across the internet. After 27 years, Microsoft officially retired the pioneering Internet Explorer web browser. Apple, meanwhile, shared a first look at its new offering of emojis coming in the iOS 16.4 update.

On the app side, Instagram is reported to be testing a feature that allows users to comment on posts with a GIF, while TikTok is allegedly toying around with the idea of paywalled content.

Below, HYPEBEAST has rounded up the top tech stories of the week so you can stay up to date on trends in the industry.

Instagram Began Letting Users Comment on Posts With a GIF

Pavlo Gonchar/Sopa Images/Lightrocket/Getty Images

Instagram has reportedly expanded GIFs to the comment sections of photo and video posts. While users were already able to reply to a Story with a GIF, the new feature brings GIFs into the main feed, PiunikaWeb first reported.

Users with access to the feature reported noticing a button while typing out comments that brought up a GIF database, sourcing from the platform GIPHY.

Microsoft Officially Permanently Disabled Internet Explorer

Pavlo Gonchar/Sopa Images/Lightrocket/Getty Images

Eight months after retiring the Internet Explorer web browser, Microsoft has officially shuttered the platform. Internet Explorer was operating for 27 years and served as an entry point for many users’ forway into the early internet. A new Windows update, however, will disable the browser for good.

“The retired, out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 desktop application has been permanently disabled through a Microsoft Edge update on certain versions of Windows 10,” Microsoft said in a statement.

Apple Gave a First Look at the iOS 16.4 Emojis

Apple

Apple unveiled the lineup of new emojis coming in the iOS 16.4 update. Among the offerings are new colorways for the classic heart, debuting pink, blue and gray versions. There’s also a ginger root and edamame being added to the food section, alongside animal icons of a moose, donkey, wings, blackbird, duck and jellyfish.

The iOS 16.4 emojis are expected to officially launch sometime this Spring in March or April but those enrolled in Apple’s Developer Program will have the opportunity to test them out sooner.

NASA’s James Webb Telescope Captured a Stunning Image of a Milky Way-Lookalike Galaxy

European Space Agency

Scientists at the European Space Agency utilized NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to take new images of a galaxy. Located over a billion light years away, the galaxy is called LEDA 2046648 and drew the attention of scientists due to its close resemblance to the Milky Way.

They stumbled upon the galaxy while observing a well-known star called the White Dwarf and used the telescope’s infrared NIRCam to observe the galaxy’s chemical composition.

TikTok Is Reported To Be Working on a Feature That Lets Creators Paywall Videos

Mario Tama/Getty Images

TikTok is reportedly testing out a new feature that allows creators to paywall their content. The feature would allow some creators to paywall their videos for the price of $1 USD, or another amount of their choosing, according to The Information.

The publication also reported that TikTok is seeking to revamp and restructure its Creator Fund, a $3 billion USD pool that compensates creators for their contributions to the platform.