The work-from-home world is still going strong, but we’re getting better at dealing with it, particularly thanks to technology. Online workspaces like Microsoft Teams are more than just popular now, they’re essential, and meetings have gone virtual.
If you’re in the market to upgrade your virtual meetings, Microsoft has unveiled two new products to help you out: A self-proclaimed “Modern” USB-C speaker and a similarly titled webcam.
Microsoft gone modern
The Modern USB-C Speaker is slightly more deserving of its name than the webcam, sporting an omnidirectional mic paired with background noise cancellation to make your online conferences as slick as possible. There are the standard mute, volume, and call buttons, along with a button specifically to launch Microsoft Teams. Naturally, the device pairs well with Microsoft’s digital workspace, which has been receiving handy updates to make working from home easier. The speaker is comfortably compact and comes with a carrier case, so it’s easy to carry around with you.
So what makes this webcam more modern than others, aside from the name? Well… not much, really. That’s not putting the thing down, though. It’s a fairly good 1080p webcam with HDR support at 30fps. The cam lacks a USB-C port, opting for a USB-A instead, which isn’t a huge bother really. Plus, nice touch, it has a privacy shutter and a little LED blinker to let you know explicitly when it’s on and active. Privacy is a chief concern for consumers these days after all.
The Modern Webcam will drop with a $70 (roughly R1k) price tag, and the Speaker will have a $100 (about R1,500) price of admission. Both items will ship in June.
Source: The Verge