On this episode of Beyond the Pledge, Jai Tedeschi, R/GA’s vp, global executive director, culture & operation, sat down with Marla Kaplowitz, CEO of the 4A’s, and Sean Lyons global CEO of R/GA to discuss the importance of data transparency when it comes to creating a path toward an anti-racist society. The 4A’s have come…Read More
2020 offered valuable lessons about how and why technology business leaders need to future-proof their business models — whether we liked it or not. The pandemic sent normal operations out the window and forced companies to take huge leaps forward in adopting and advancing new technology. Now, it’s time to harness the lessons learned from this pivotal year to create lasting changes to strategies and infrastructure. During the pandemic, I worked closely with chief nursing officers and healthcare technologists to implement virtual care solutions. As hospitals scrambled to keep up with an unprecedented number of patients and medical staff tried…
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If you’re wondering what Apple’s visual design language is going to look like in the coming years, we may now have a solid idea — and it’s all down to some new iOS icons. Go on, have a look at the updated design for Apple Music for Artists app: This new iOS icon was first spotted by Reddit user DimVl. It appears to mimic (or echo, if you’d prefer) some of the design choices we saw appear in Big Sur. Specifically, the emphasis on icons with greater depth, as you can see the shadowing of the double quaver giving the new app…
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It’s time to get serious about how we show up in remote meetings.
For a year, we slogged through it, but it was exhausting. Not only did we feel lousy at the end of the day, but other people rarely saw us at our best.
Now that it’s clear that the nature of work and meetings has changed forever, perhaps this is a good moment to embrace what’s possible.
I’ve put together a rig in my office that is noteworthy for two reasons:
Here’s a short sample.
And here’s a photo of what it looks like from my side.
Here’s how to do it.
First! It’s free, it takes about one minute and will change the way you feel at the end of the day. In Zoom, find the button for HIDE SELF VIEW. (Here’s a link). What this means is that as in real life, you won’t be able to see yourself. It turns out that looking in the mirror all day wears us out. You’ll have to change the setting at the start of every meeting (this should be high on their list of things to fix) but it’s pretty easy.
By hiding your face from your screen, you can focus more on everyone else in the meeting.
Second, also free: rearrange your workspace so that light is not coming from behind you.
The next steps cost more in setup and money, and I’ll cover them from easiest to most involved. Part of the magic of video meetings is that without a commute or fancy equipment beyond a phone or a laptop, people could join. But it’s become clear that it’s possible to deliver more fidelity and impact by investing in some tech.
Just as we don’t hesitate to buy a new outfit for a big meeting, or pay $500 for a plane ticket, these are investments, and in the scheme of your career, they’re pretty reasonable–and your boss should pay for them:
Get some LED lights. They’re incredibly cheap now (here’s a sample, but shop around.) Set them up to the left and right of your screen, a few feet behind it.
Get an external DSLR camera and hook it up to your Mac or PC. This is a much bigger commitment, but the difference it makes is startling.
You’ll need a camera, a tripod, and a capture box. Again, all three have alternatives, feel free to shop around. I use this capture box, but your mileage may vary. (And scroll down to the end of this post for a camera alternative)
How it works: The camera goes on a tripod and sits just above and slightly behind your computer screen. The HDMI output goes to your capture box and then into your computer. In Zoom, change the camera from your computer to the camera. Done. It also pays to get a power cable for your camera so it doesn’t run out on you. (You can add a microphone while you’re at it).
And then, there’s one last step, which has been the biggest leap for me since the self-view insight.
When you look at the camera in a zoom call, you’re not looking at the person you’re talking with. You’re staring over their head if you’re looking at the camera, or, possibly, you’re looking at them, but it appears to them that you’re looking at your keyboard. Either way, there’s no eye to eye connection.
This is unnatural. You’d freak out if you had a real life meeting with someone who never made eye contact. And it’s really tiring, because you end up spending your time not doing something humans evolved to do, which is look at each other.
The alternative? A beam splitter.
These are used for teleprompters. It’s basically a piece of fancy glass, at an angle, on top of a monitor or screen. Behind the glass is the camera.
You can look directly at the glass, and the camera behind it, but instead of looking at the glass and the camera, what you’re actually looking at is the teleprompter or the stuff that’s on the screen.
It’s magical.
This setup is now far cheaper than I expected. Here’s a typical beamsplitter with hood and mount, and here’s a monitor that should fit with it. Total cost under $300.
[or if you’ve already got a late-model iPhone or iPad along with a Mac, there’s a new app called Reincubate Camo, which is a much better product than the name implies. It allows you to skip buying an external camera and use the device tethered to your Mac instead. You’ll still need a tripod, still and you can probably make it work with the beamsplitter…]
The entire setup, all of the things that I’ve listed above, comes to less than $1,000–less than half of that if you already have a camera or use Camo. If you go to a meeting a day, that’s a few dollars a meeting over the course of a year.
It’s not for everyone, but if you are looking for the tools to be more productive, I hope it helps.
Microsoft announced yesterday that it’s now submerging servers in a special liquid at its data center located on the banks of the Columbia River. The company said it enables increased efficiency and fewer downtimes. How is the company doing this? The tech giant said it’s using a special liquid that boils at 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) as compared to 100 degrees Celcius (212 degreesFahrenheit) boiling point of water. This means the heat generated by servers is carried away quickly by the vapor and in turn, reduces the risk of overheating. Engineers have built a condenser in the tank lid, so vapor…
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Last year, on World EV day, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath declared that “Electric cars are not clean.” With its latest announcement, it seems the startup EV maker is keen to address that fact. Today, as part of its first annual review, Polestar has declared its ambition to make a car that’s entirely climate neutral by 2030, in what it dubs the Polestar 0 project. While Polestar already makes a battery electric car — the Polestar 2 — that has zero tailpipe emissions, as with other EVs CO2 is created during its production. It comes as no surprise, that eliminating production…
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Since Clubhouse became the new social media darling in just a few short months, live audio features and platforms have garnered a lot of interest in the tech community. The company now wants to raise more money, which should help it stay ahead of the competition. According to a report from Bloomberg, Clubhouse wants to start new funding round, with the firm valued at $4 billion. In January, the live audio platform raised $100 million in funding led by Andreessen Horowitz;the VC giant had valued the app at $1 billion at that time. The new round might quadruple the net worth of the…
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Facebook is marking World Health Day Wednesday by teaming up with UNICEF and the World Health Organization on a worldwide campaign to promote credible information about the Covid-19 vaccine. Instagram users will see everyone who shared Storieswith the new “I got vaccinated” sticker in their Stories tray. When that sticker is tapped, it will bring…Read More
Facebook released its coordinated inauthentic behavior report for March 2021, sharing details on 14 networks that were removed, originating from 11 countries. The actions involved a total of 1,167 accounts, 290 Instagram accounts, 255 pages and 34 groups. Details follow on the networks that were removed last month. Albania: 128 accounts, 41 pages, 21 groups…Read More
Sonos and Ikea’s Symfonisk line has been pretty popular due to their quirky looks and surprisingly good sound — showing that even lamps can make for good speakers. Now it appears the companies are following up their partnership with an updated table lamp and a new product altogether. According to The Verge, Ikea and Sonos are preparing to launch a speaker that doubles as wall art. Ikea teased the updated Symfonisk speakers on its Instagram account, although it didn’t say what specifically was coming. The new speakers, however, show up in FCC listings. The Verge says it’s seen an early image…
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