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As remote work continues to dominate the workplace landscape, tools and devices designed to improve the virtual experience are becoming increasingly important and popular amongst designers. Indeed, most firms in the United States are offering hybrid work models to their employees, a potentially revolutionary change that certainly transforms the design profession, where office culture and collaborative processes are integral to the success of many projects.

While working from home offers numerous benefits and perspectives, the office atmosphere is hard to replicate and often missed. Thankfully Owl Labs has developed a new and improved technology to facilitate collaborative work from a distance. The recently-launched Meeting Owl 3 multitasks as a 360° camera, microphone and speaker device that elevates the video conference experience, fosters connectivity and improves overall productivity.

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Meeting Owl 3 integrates with the most used conferencing platforms today, such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and GoToMeeting among others. Its compatibility is ideal for designers whose work is conducted over multiple conferencing platforms. Owl Labs has integrated their Owl Intelligence System into the device, which consists of AI-driven software that regularly upgrades to make collaboration as immersive, inclusive and reliable as possible.

The output resolution is 1080p HD, with a field view of 360°, ensuring clear and crisp video quality that helps team members feel connected while working apart; this level of detail can be vital when showing physical objects, including models and sketches, rather than doing a screenshare. Moreover, the device’s microphone comes with 8 omnidirectional beam-forming Smart Mics and an audio radius of 18 inches. The speaker quality and output quality help to ensure that both designers and project teammates can hear one another as clearly as possible.

The Meeting Owl 3 is designed to automatically focus on the voice actively speaking, which creates the best possible meeting experience without having to intervene and consistently check-in with those listening. Owl Lab’s easy-to-use connection system makes it ideal for those running multiple meetings back-to-back or those signing into last-minute calls. It can be simply plugged into the host computer via USB-C or can be connected to the Expansion Mic via micro-HDMI. Once connected, users can immediately start their video conference call.

Beyond home work, The Owl Lab is useful to architects working in the office who would like to collaborate with teammates or meet with far away clients virtually. Indeed, it is especially helpful for design firms that conduct international business with overseas clients. This device’s ability to mimic the office environment and in-person feel will aid in building client confidence and maintaining a good rapport between team members.

This ind of tool is also useful for larger conferences or for those working in big spaces. In such cases, Two Meeting Owl 3s can even be paired together to expand the video and audio coverage within a space. Meanwhile, the device is small and compact and blends seamlessly into any environment without creating an eye sore or distraction.

Since its release, the Meeting Owl 3 has been widely revered for its effortless set-up and ability to foster connectivity. One Amazon user explained how the “system was so simple to install, plug it in, initiate the system and you are off and running on your zoom meeting” and how it “made the meetings fun, functional and will allow our in person and remote teams greater ease and access to each other, a win for us in productivity and connectivity.”

Meeting Owl 3 is one of those devices that enables designers to maintain the best of both worlds: to continue working remotely without having to compromise on collaboration and communication. Equally, it allows studios to seamlessly present projects and make virtual connections with far-off clients around the world.

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For more laptops and workstation recommendations for architects, checkout 15 Top Laptops for Architects and Designers, and watch out for more in our Tech for Architects series, coming soon.