skype – Ask Quincy

SKYPE new feature: Blur my background

Ah, the foibles of working from home.

That Skype call is about to start and you’ve got wet laundry and dirty dishes all over the place.

Worried about what your VC attendees are going to see? Worry no more:

Skype now offers a BLUR MY BACKGROUND. This option, similar to one present in MS Teams, uses heuristics (aka, technomagic) to discern foreground from background then applies a flattering blur similar to the one that Cybil Shepherd’s Maddie Hayes character was often filmed with.

Next up on the R&D drawing boards:
- Add Pants Filter (for those moments when you prematurely stand up)
- Hide my wife and kids, for this guy
Cheers!

quincy

Additional reading:

Windows Emoji Keyboard

In this, my last post honoring World Emoji Day (promise), I showcase the emojis available with Windows Touch Keyboard.

In addition to the new emojis in GMail, and the hidden emojis in Skype, did you know that you can access emojis using Windows’ on-screen keyboard?

The on-screen keyboard (aka, Touch Keyboard), available to Windows desktop since versions 8, includes emoji characters similar to those used on iPhones and iPads.

Accessing Emojis Using Windows Touch Keyboard

In Desktop mode, RIGHT+CLICK on the taskbar, point to Toolbars and select Touch Keyboard. The Touch Keyboard icon now appears on the Taskbar.
Click (or tap, if using a tablet) the Touch Keyboard icon to display an onscreen keyboard.
Click the emoji key to display emojis.
Click the desired emoji. That emoji is inserted at the current cursor position.

Press ‘X‘ to close the Touch Keyboard when done.

Cheers!

Additional reading:

Skype’s Hidden Emojis

This month we celebrate World Emoji Day (seriously, it’s a thing) . Last post I showcased GMail’s new emojis. Now I highlight Skype‘s emoji offerings.