At Home with Tech

January 9, 2022

Why It may be Time to Upgrade your Webcam

If you still look like a shadow of your true self in Zoom meetings, you should consider using a more powerful camera.

It’s fair to say we’ll be needing our webcams, well… forever. If video conference meetings from home weren’t already part of our daily lives before the pandemic, well, now they certainly are. And no matter what the future holds, virtual meetings are here to stay.

We’ve had two years to figure out how to set up a decent Zoom shot. If you’re still not happy with it, the problem may be your computer’s mediocre webcam. If so, it’s time to upgrade and buy a dedicated external USB camera for your computer.

Can Another Camera You Own do the Job?
But before you start shopping for a new webcam, make sure you don’t already own another device that you can repurpose such as a camcorder or DSLR-style camera.

You just need to make sure that your higher-end camera can offer a ‘clean’ video output via a HDMI connector. Then you’ll need a HDMI to USB converter like the ‘Cam Link 4K’ to integrate the video feed into your computer.

My New Lumix GH5 II
Recently, I bought myself a Panasonic Lumix GH5 II
with a Panasonic 12-35 mm/f2.8 II lens.
(“Why Barrett, you shouldn’t have!”)

And of course, I immediately wanted to jack this Micro Four Thirds, mirrorless camera into my iMac to see what would happen.

Sure, using a higher-end camera with a serious lens as a basic webcam is way overkill, but it works just fine. And the look is beautiful. In fact, it’s ridiculous.

The webcam on my iMac is perfectly adequate, but when I changed over to my GH5 II, the visual difference was dramatic.

Don’t Buy More than You Need
Now, I’m not saying you should run out and spend ten times the cost of a typical webcam to upgrade your Zoom look.

But if you’ve already got a more powerful camera that can also be used as a webcam, then why not? (Previously, I had been repurposing my old GoPro as a webcam via my Cam Link 4K.)

Your Desk will get Messy
Now here comes the big disclaimer…

Yes, integrating a ‘real’ camera into your desktop computer or laptop will creating an amazing image, but functionally, the process is not elegant. You’ve got to put a tripod on your desk and position it right next to your computer screen, so you’re not looking too far off camera when you take a peek at the other folks in your Zoom window.

Then, you’ve got the HDMI and power cables coiling in front of your screen to contend with. It’s a mess. (You start to feel like a battery person trapped in “The Matrix,” even though the cables aren’t actually coming out of your body.)

Even attaching a tiny new webcam to your laptop involves an extra cable and a webcam mount, and it takes a couple more steps every time you prepare for a video conference. Plus, you’ve got to adjust your webcam and test your shot to make sure you’re framed correctly.

That’s takes work… sometimes a lot of work. One might say it’s an absurd effort. And for what?

Nothing beats the ease of simply clicking on ‘join’ and letting your integrated webcam do its job. Whatever your viewers see, they see. If you’re only partially in the shot, that’s better than nothing, right?

What’s so bad with that approach? (And if you really feel that way, please continue taking your blue pills. Your next Zoom meeting in the Matrix is in ten minutes!)

Can You See Me Now?
Frankensteining any camera into your computer is a bit messy… sometimes very messy. But the good news is it’s not really that complicated.

Do you still make an effort to put on a nice shirt for your Zoom meetings, and have you spent more than a few minutes trying to adjust the lighting on your face? Are you still unsatisfied with your shot?

If so, then you’re a prime candidate to consider upgrading your webcam. (And if you’re already in the market for a nice camera to handle your photography and video projects, you can free two birds with one key, like I did.)

I expect you will not be disappointed with your decision to improve your Zoom look. It’s actually a great New Year’s resolution, and one that you’ll continue reaping benefits from throughout the entire year!

January 2, 2022

Make a Friend when Calling Customer Service

You have more power than you think to find a happy resolution during your next call to customer service. Here’s how to access it.

Recently, I had a problem with a streaming app for a pay TV service that suddenly wouldn’t recognize my subscription. The app was tethered to my cell phone account as an added benefit, because I’ve maintained a higher-level data plan. The relationship always seemed a bit complex, but it worked… until it didn’t. And of course I realized my subscription had prematurely ‘expired’ right when I pressed play for a family movie night presentation of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

After I wiped egg off my face, I switched apps, and we found something else to stream. Later, I picked up the phone in search of a solution to my misbehaving app.

We all know the proverb that you’ll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. But it’s also easy to forget when having a frustrating moment with a customer service representative.

Customer Service 1.0
While growing up, I often observed my father apply negative pressure in any number of customer service moments to help mold his desired outcome. I think it was a simpler time when resolutions seemed more achievable, and customers had more power to influence them. But getting angry and threatening to take your business elsewhere is never a sustainable strategy. Even as a kid, I remember feeling that.

Customer Service 2.0
Not to over-generalize, but eventually business trends changed and customer service shifted. We can debate this decline, but I think a key ingredient is added complexity as a result of business efficiencies. Plus, much of the decision-making power has been taken away from the front line of customer service and replaced by the weight of following process.

Your dissatisfaction is likely not the fault of the person on the other end of your phone call. Sure, you may feel a sense of genuine disconnection with the conversation, but there could be other factors you’re not aware of, such as computer systems containing your account info that move much slower than the human mind (how ironic).

Customer Service 3.0
While I’ve been mindful not to practice my father’s bad customer behaviors, that doesn’t mean I’ve succeeded at living on a totally Zen plane when calling customer service. Sure, I get frustrated, just like the rest of us.

But when I made the call to fix my broken streaming app, I had an amazing ‘aha moment’ that changed my entire perspective.

Yes, I ended up speaking to three customer service representatives across two separate phone calls spanning two hours (including waiting on hold for 30 minutes for the first call to begin).

No, it wasn’t a great start. However, the three people I spoke with were all stellar in their positive disposition. They all truly wanted to help me out. Unfortunately, I think none of them had access to all of the information they needed. The third rep had the greatest understanding of the issue, but was still confounded why her technical fixes weren’t working exactly the way they should. Eventually, she moved around a final glitch to MacGyver a solution for me.

It was entirely imperfect, but I appreciated that all three were totally focused on working the problem for me. And, yes my app was reborn.

Throughout this experience, I didn’t see them as adversaries, even though the first two couldn’t solve my tech riddle. Instead, I felt they had joined me on a spontaneous road trip together. And that shifted my attitude.

Together, we needed to locate a hidden variable, and it was buried somewhere in the computer system. No person could totally solve my problem. The machine would need to play nice too.

Make a New Friend
The reality is the computer controls much of the customer service conversation. And if you’re open to this cold truth, that should shift the fundamental relationship between you and the customer service representative. In fact, it should create an alliance. Because it may take both of you to figure the problem out… together.

Your impersonal connection can magically shift. Now, it’s the two of you against the machine. This momentary alliance is powerful, and it can wash away all of the negative impulses you may be feeling.

Because, you can’t get angry at a inscrutable computer system that won’t behave. The only solution is to team up with that other human being on your phone call.

Then, you’ll have a fighting chance to resolve your problem.

Nice is the New Mean
Being civil as a customer is no different than how we should strive to act throughout life. But that’s easy to forget, especially during these pandemic years when patience can be even harder to maintain.

And if you can put aside your past frustrations with customer service, you’ll realize your perceived enemy can be your ally if you actively reach out to create that alliance with the other person.

Your most powerful weapon is simply showing your humanity.

And as we begin another year, remember that this truth applies far beyond customer service interactions.

Treat everyone well. See the big picture. We’re all in this together.

Make a friend.

Happy New Year.

December 26, 2021

How to Replace a Lost Prepaid Return Shipping Label from Soda Sense

Seltzer alert! If you happen to lose your prepaid shipping sticker for your empty CO2 canisters, here’s where to go to print out a new one.

The Lester family really loves its seltzer water. Whether it’s for lunch or dinner, having some carbonated water can really perk up any meal. So a couple years back, I bought us a SodaStream seltzer maker to minimize the pile up of seltzer cans and bottles to be recycled. (Plus, reducing our daily need for disposal plastics and aluminum is good for the environment!)

Endless Bubbles Program
I also simultaneously signed up with a carbon dioxide canister exchange program from Soda Sense. (Dissolved CO2 is the magic ingredient in bubbly water.) The deal is after you use up two of three CO2 canisters, you mail two back for fresh ones.

You simply place the empty canisters back into their original box with a prepaid shipping sticker and pop the package in the mail. A few days later, a new box with two fresh canisters shows up, and your credit card is automatically charged $44.65. How easy is that?! (SodaStream now offers a similar program.)

I Lost the Prepaid Shipping Label
Everything’s been working great with our Soda Sense relationship until last week. I went to pack up my two used CO2 canisters, and the return prepaid mailing sticker which came in the box was mysteriously missing. I’m sure I lost the sticker somewhere in our basement. (We can also say our cat hid it.)

So now what?

A Complicated Journey to an Easy Solution
I googled the problem, and surprisingly nothing came up. Then, I went to sodasense.com and looked for the answer in the Help section. Nothing.

Really?

I signed into Soda Sense and poked around. I finally clicked on “Update Your Account,” even though I didn’t want to update anything. But I hoped there might be a clue there. And in fact there was!

At the bottom of the right column, I spotted, “Email me a replacement label.”

Voilà!

Now was that so hard? Seconds later, I received an email with the new shipping label to print out. (Yes, it’s just another reason why you still need a printer at home.)

I taped the substitute prepaid address label onto my box containing the spent canisters and then walked the package to my mailbox. Finally, I raised that little red flag on the side of the mailbox (how wonderfully analog).

Feeling Bubbly Again
I’m not sure how many people lose their return shipping sticker, but there should be an easy way to print out a new one. And in fact, there is….

It’s just somewhat of a hidden solution. They make you work for it a bit. (Perhaps as a reminder to be more organized?)

But the silver lining is you can then write a blog post about it.

Thank you, Soda Sense. Keep those CO2 canisters coming!

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