January-February developments
This month, Google Meet announced several changes for online meetings, including the ability to combine different video effects both on the web and on mobile devices. Users can mix a background and filter effect to create a more dynamic and enjoyable experience. This allows you to choose the ideal combination of effects that best represents you during meetings. The new layer icon on the self-view tile allows users to keep track of which effects are active and remove one or all of them at once.
A new user interface for effects has been introduced. The updated design aims to facilitate the discovery and application of different features. Notably, effects are now grouped by category, including backgrounds, filters, and appearance adjustments. Backgrounds are categorized based on scene types, such as new, blurred, and uploaded backgrounds. Filters are sorted into funny filters, accessories, costumes, and characters. Appearance settings allow for improvements lighting, framing, and video quality. Moreover, the new studio lighting feature with the Duet AI add-on is available for Google Workspace Enterprise users. This feature allows for simulated studio-quality lighting, with the ability to adjust lighting position, brightness, and color. Please note that this feature requires an eligible device for initial launch.
The Audio in Studio feature will automatically improve poor audio quality from typical Bluetooth headsets and callers using AI to recreate higher audio frequencies. Currently, the feature is available for web meetings and dial-in, with support for the Meet mobile app coming in the coming weeks.
With the latest version, meeting hosts and co-hosts can pin up to three specific tiles for all meeting attendees. This allows you to help focus the gathering on essential presentations and speakers. It should be noted that meeting participants have the option of unpinning these tiles on their screens.
(Source: Google Meet)
As for Microsoft Teams, a new option, Decorate Your Background, has been added. Meeting participants can now use generative background effects in Teams. With this option, meeting participants can use the power of AI to generate a background that decorates and enhances their room in the real world, for example, by cleaning up clutter or adding plants to the wall. This feature is available to users with a Teams Premium license.
Collaborative Notes now offers a new connection type called People-Specific Link that enhances meeting efficiency and security. It provides more controlled access than the Company-Specific Link and aligns with file-sharing policies for specific individuals. Previously disabled tenants can now enable and benefit from Collaborative Notes.
With this update, Chrome and Edge will automatically display up to 9 videos (3×3) on the screen by default, with no user input required. Previously, Microsoft Teams meetings supported up to four videos (2×2) on the screen by default in web browsers.
Audio and video fly-outs in Teams meetings make controlling your audio and video settings easy. The audio fly-out allows you to select your camera and microphone device and alter the volume, spatial audio, and noise suppression parameters. Users can change their backdrop and avatars right from the camera fly-out. You can also quickly alter the brightness and soft focus.
Zoom updates introduce new user features, including a Memorandum of Agreement. This feature lets users easily view how a conversation is affecting the momentum of their deal. The Memorandum of Agreement summarises crucial parts of the conversation related to deal closure and customer objections for future reference. Event setup features allow hosts to generate an image using the Zoom AI Companion in Email Builder when they view or add an image component.
Are you planning an online meeting or event and need urgent advice?
Our ConfTech Help desk provides countries and organisations with immediate advice on how to organise and run online meetings and events. Get in touch with us at conftech@diplomacy.edu.
