June 19, 2023

For Sale

Looking to donate/sell all my old testing equipment as I'll no longer need it. Nothing has a warranty or guarantee, but everything worked the last time I used them.  Here is the start of the list:


Elgato Stream Deck mini – lightly used to test.
https://amzn.to/46bmyEg
 
HD fury Diva with input lag tester cable – used in lab environment. Works.
https://amzn.to/46bmcxq
 
Dayton Audio EMM-6 with PYLE XLR-USB signal adapter – lightly used in lab environment.
https://amzn.to/43TN57K
https://amzn.to/3XcOm7e
 
Pyle Pro PDBC50 strip surge protector – 1U. Ran 24/7 for years but works as new. https://amzn.to/3XgMDOf
 
Razer Kiyo Pro webcam – lightly tested.
https://amzn.to/3NBrvii
 
3-port USB-based KVM
https://amzn.to/3pawLA6
Used in lab environment. Works.
 
SM208 screen brightness meter – lightly used in lab environment.
https://amzn.to/44bPBpD
 
Poly P21 display. Used for demo purposes. Excellent condition in box
https://amzn.to/3p9aRgN

BenQ Instashow – two different models (USB-C and HDMI, I believe). In box, works.

Elgato Facecam – note this may be bricked.

https://amzn.to/3XhDwNp

Microsoft Modern USB headset – Used often, but still works as new.

https://amzn.to/42O7byD

Shokz OpenComm UC (first version)

Logitech Zone True Wireless Earbuds

Poly Cube webcam

April 29, 2023

Are online product reviews legitimate?

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

We've probably all done it. When looking for a product, one of the best things to do is read online reviews. I've found myself Googling "what is the best (insert thing here)" and while reading reviews it became obvious that some authors never touched the product. Yet, they were telling their audience what was best. Read on for my experience writing for one of these websites in early 2023.

April 22, 2023

Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC Evaluation


With their announcement ahead of ISE in January 2023, Poly enhances their audio device product line with the introduction of the Voyager Free 60 enterprise grade earbuds. The Voyager Free 60s are true wireless earbuds and several models are available: Free 60, Free 60 UC, Free 60+ UC, as well as a Microsoft Teams specific model of the 60+ UC. This is an evaluation of the Free 60+ UC earbuds which were supplied to UC Test Lab free of charge by Poly.

April 15, 2023

How to test AI transcription in meeting services

Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash

Lately, AI has been the buzzword, well, buzz acronym in conversations around enterprise communications. What is AI and how does it relate to communications? For the purpose of this article we will refer to AI as the ability to generate correct transcriptions from meeting attendees. This is how I would test meeting services to determine accuracy and benchmark them against one another. Note that I am an English speaker and while my test would primarily involve the English language, it could certainly port to any language supported by meeting services.

March 03, 2023

Poly Voyager 6200 UC Review

 

Source: Poly

The Poly Voyager 6200 is a wireless Bluetooth headset designed for professional use. The headset is equipped with noise-cancelling technology, making it ideal for use in noisy environments. Additionally, it features a comfortable and ergonomic design that allows you to wear it for extended periods without discomfort. Read on for more about the Voyager 6200

February 15, 2023

Is Lenovo's ThinkSmart View Plus the Right Solution?


Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Introduced at ISE 2023 was Lenovo's entry in the genre of "personal service integrated displays" (Bryan's term). This blog will dive right into it - let's go!

February 01, 2023

Is Logitech's Project Ghost the new Telepresence?

Photo by Drew Tilk on Unsplash

On January 31st at ISE2023, Logitech publicly introduced Project Ghost, an integrated video conferencing system utilizing Steelcase furniture. This system utilizes Pepper's Ghost (beam splitting) putting a camera behind a semi-transparent screen to achieve eye contact with a reflected image. Read on for more information about Project Ghost.

January 02, 2023

I've been working from home for nearly 20 years - here are the best products I've used

Now into my 20th year of working primarily from home, it's time to share some of the most effective tools I've found to get the work done. Most of my time is spent at a dedicated workstation in a spare bedroom of my house, but often I need to be "remote" from my home office so portability and flexibility is needed. Read on for more!

December 26, 2022

Proper Audio for a Video Chat

Not all video chat users are the same. If you are a power user on video calls all day long, this blog is not for you. This is an introductory article for those who may need to attend a random video call or may be just starting a position where they will need to be on video and aren't sure how best to make that happen from an audio perspective. This blog will focus solely on audio devices to aim for the best experience possible. Read on for more.

November 08, 2022

Neat Center

 On November 7, 2022 Neat announced the "Center", the latest 360 degree camera for meetings. Read on for more information, including Bryan's take on the device.