Microsoft is introducing two new Teams-certified accessories to improve hybrid meeting setups: the Microsoft Audio Dock and the Microsoft Presenter Plus remote control.
The Audio Dock is a pill-shaped all-in-one speakerphone system with a passthrough PC charger and four different ports (HDMI, USB-A, and two USB-C) designed to help reduce desktop clutter. You can connect up to two monitors with HDMI and USB-C connections, with the passthrough charger supporting up to 60W of power, which is enough for most modern laptops. It provides dual forward-facing microphones with noise-reduction capabilities, and there’s an integrated mute control atop the device that clearly indicates your microphone status to spare you from any embarrassing mishaps in whatever meeting app you prefer. It’s certified for Microsoft Teams, though, so you get an integrated Teams button to quickly join meetings and raise your hand.
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Also new is the Presenter Plus, a handheld remote control that allows users to easily join a Teams meeting, whether they’re in the conference room or at home. It also works with other meeting apps, like PowerPoint, Prezi, or Keynote. You can use the remote to advance slides, mute and unmute yourself at the press of a button, and direct attention to specific areas of your presentation using the built-in screen pointer.
Other neat features include the same mute indicator light that’s on the Audio Dock and the ability to raise or lower your hand during a Teams call by holding down the dedicated Teams button. The remote connects via Bluetooth and has a wireless range of up to 32 feet (about 10 meters), allowing you to present from the back of a room when necessary.
Microsoft didn’t announce a date of purchase for either the Audio Dock or Presenter Plus — nor has it given any indication of pricing. We reached out for details and will update this story if we hear back.