Microsoft introduces middle-finger emoji

Want to curse someone in text messages? Microsoft’s new profane emoji helps you do it better.In its up-coming Window 10 operating system scheduled to release later this year, Microsoft will introduce a slew of new emojis in a more emotionally and racially diverse updated collection to cater to users across the globe. That includes a wider range of facial expressions, skin tones, as well as a middle-finger emoticon, according to EmojiPedia.The launch comes after Apple's latest emoji update last month, which has brought alive also a raft of new faces and skin colour modifiers. Except the provocative middle-finger emoji font, Microsoft’s new collection does bear a strong resemblance with Apple's latest emoji version, particularly the "Information Desk Person" below.Unicode Consortium, the organisation to set the international standards for characters, including emoji, has unveiled the “reversed hand with middle finger extended” last year, but Microsoft is the first tech giant to pick it up.To tap the Chinese, the latest update also features a Mahjong emoji with the red "中" character.It comes as no surprise for tech giants to bring their competition on to emoticons as people are now communicating visually more than ever, the same reason why instant messaging apps like LINE and WeChat have seen a big boost in users in recent years; even Facebook has also expanded its chat stickers on Timeline last October.