How to Take Notes on a Video Call with Surface

[@victorkyaw532]

I am thinking of screen sharing my zoom video from my phone to my tv and take notes with my surface pro 7. I think it would greatly help the pathetic battery like sp7 have. Next class, imma try it. Thanks for giving me this idea

[@efficaciousuave]

these methods also are helpful for my case--- watching video lectures, recorded lectures from youtube, udemy, etc and take notes on our device.

[@zakaialfred9543]

Sorry to be so off topic but does any of you know of a way to log back into an instagram account? I was dumb lost the login password. I would appreciate any help you can give me.

[@efficaciousuave]

@@zakaialfred9543 use forget password option it should be right there

[@gyozakeynsianism]

It's great you've got a secondary note-taking device. A lot of people have a low-spec mobile OS tablet that they can use in that way too. Personally I use a Surface Dock, my external monitors and my webcam/mic (a setup you mentioned). I just swap out the keyboard for my Surface propped up to about 15 degrees for optimal writing. (I even keep the keyboard wrist rest there - I find it helps!) It's basically a three-monitor setup, with one monitor being pen-enabled. This is great for meetings and seminars, and it's also how I taught my classes in the spring (after lockdown started) and summer too. And OneNote is unparalleled. Great video!

[@darwinmcquerter7463]

Nice Job! I have the surface studio 2 and actually what you do! I like note-taking on my studio GO.

[@cezannealves6926]

You missed a very handy trick in this video: Most video-conferencing services (teams, meet, and zoom included) allow you to enter a conference room with multiple devices simultaneously via the same account. That way you could use your phone as just the webcam linked directly to the call while using the surface or a desktop to watch your partners' presentations. I think that's better than hooking up a webcam to the surface, and most people already have a phone with a good camera. For those who want more details: These services allow you to pick and choose which device you want to use for seeing, listening, or transmitting video, audio and screen independently. I will occasionally enter a call with a desktop, a surface, and a phone simultaneously, and use the phone (with headphones) for just audio, the surface for webcam and sketching, and the desktop for watching. If the meeting doesn't demand full attention and my webcam is off, I can just transition to the surface or the phone and wander around the house while listening and watching. You only have to be careful with mics and loudspeakers: only the microphones in the same device as the loudspeakers are able to filter the emitted sound to prevent feedback (when the filter works to begin with). So, keep only one mic open at a time. And if using a loudspeaker, it has to be the mic from the same device. Or better yet always use headphones/earphones. Using a phone just for the audio has the benefit of being untethered from the desk even if you don't have a Bluetooth headset. By the way, Brett, I love your videos. You're the single youtuber that understands the philosophy of this device category.

[@oztabletpc]

Lol, I can't believe I missed that! I use that trick all the time! If you have multi monitors, this would work well...

[@michaelggriffiths]

Now _that_ is exceptionally interesting! I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing. So when you connect with multiple devices, is each device visible to other participants, or is it possible to 'unify' your devices into one virtual device?

[@michaelggriffiths]

@@oztabletpc demonstrating that would make for a really _really_ interesting and helpful video! This would be of great assistance to the friends. WCL, Mike

[@oztabletpc]

With Teams, the call tracks people, not devices. So no matter how many devices you join on, you'll only see one you. With Zoom, they all show up as separate devices. I don't know of a way around that in Zoom.

[@oztabletpc]

Also, Teams will automatically mute your second device to prevent feedback.

[@michaelggriffiths]

Excellent! Very informative.

[@JulienWestfield]

Great Vid, make sure and thank Mathew

[@KLiNoTweet]

Good vid as always! I like handwriting, but the handwriting recognition on my surface pro 7 is so bad. Would like to know how to make that better, maybe you could do a video that adresses that.

[@oztabletpc]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHLJaoqVaNRqq5o - This may help. Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@fallinginthed33p]

When I'm writing on a Surface tablet, I switch to voice only meetings or subject viewers to that unflattering camera angle. Most of the time, nobody really looks at the video stream anyway, it's the audio that matters more. For good sound, I use a pair of noise cancelling headphones coupled with the excellent Surface mics. External monitors are necessary when you're sharing screens.

[@gyozakeynsianism]

I agree. When I teach I tend to not share my video, and in seminars and conferences I share my video only when I think it would be unprofessional or rude to not do so. I agree with you about the mics on Surface devices. I personally use an external USB mic but my wife just uses the mic and camera built into her Surface Laptop 3 and they work awesome.

[@gadgetphilosophy8290]

My iPad camera can levitate separately from the screen. It can also make its own video calls telepathically

[@oztabletpc]

Lol. True story bro. eeeeeeeech!

[@gyozakeynsianism]

That's nothing. The Apple M1 is actually a teleportation device. And it can detect viruses and beam them away. Basically it can cure Covid.

[@edbenzino]

Surface laptop 3 for online meetings and presentations. Surface go for note taking

[@MartinCast]

Another brilliant video - thanks Matt! PS. Comments below re Apple devices telepathically doing everything including killing COVID. Hilarious.

[@nirajchhabra4701]

Thanks for these videos! Where can I find the link to the first webcam?

[@oztabletpc]

Check the description box below the video. Links to all webcams featured in the video can be found there. The first external webcam was the Logitech Streamcam.

[@7220pom]

Hi, I’ve been trying to use my iPhone as webcam, but couldn’t find any software to work with ProX. The like of EpocCam, IVCam etc. Any suggestion software for ProX? Really appreciated your advice. Pom

[@cezannealves6926]

You can log with both your iPhone and your surface on the call. See my other comment here kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2q7g6aNi7iGias&lc=UgxhtFXOS4HzZK7Fvkd4AaABAg

[@logaandm]

Question: Surface Go , Surface Pro X or Surface Pro, which is better for Note Taking?

[@oztabletpc]

Pro X or Pro both have larger screens. More room for notetaking is great. If its mainly for note taking Pro X is great. If you need to do more computing with it, Pro 7+.

[@khajster]

Great tip on using the one note while on calls on another PC. I tried using the Onenote on Office 365 on the 2020 Surface Pro 7 (i5 8GB) and every time I type it pops up the text enter window. It is so annoying. Has anyone come across this problem? I am using the Microsoft Surface pen that I bought with the Surface. Also, I did not notice the text entry box pop up everytime I write on the OneNote native app on the device only when using it on Office 365.

[@rrbouvier]

Thanks for this video ! It's very useful. Since march 2020, i use each day my surface pro 7 (i5; 8Go RAM) with an external display, Zoom, VLC, One note and Edge Chromium. Unfortunatly, i can see throttle issue. I have to use a fan because my surface become too hot. I hope that Surface pro x will resolve that problem !

[@oztabletpc]

I have the same model Pro 7. Yes, it is a problem for that model. Given the amount of time we spent on video calls this year the i5 / 8Gb combination became inadequate. The i7 would have been a better choice in hindsight. My 16Gb RAM Pro X does not suffer from break a sweat under the same load.

[@rrbouvier]

@@oztabletpc Thanks a lot for your answer !

[@fallinginthed33p]

@@oztabletpc The Pro X barely gets warm on a Teams or Zoom call whereas a Pro 7 gets hot enough to throttle and fry eggs.

[@gyozakeynsianism]

I had the same problem with the Surface Pro (2017) i5, which was also fanless. It was great for years, and worked fine even after Covid hit and I had to teach from home, but once the summer came around, remote teaching started to really push the processor thermally. A terrible experience. I switched to the SP7 i7, which has a fan, and now even in the hottest summer day (when the AC is as inefficient as ever!) I can run a class with three monitors (including the Pro's), handwriting notes and sharing the video and audio. No throttling or worrisome heat issues at all, but the fan does get a bit loud. Too bad Intel is taking so long to get down to a 7nm or smaller manufacturing process!

[@KTPurdy]

If you have a tripod that fits you're phone, you can run Teams on both devices at the same time, letting you use the phone's lens for video.

[@petergibbons1980]

Could you please let me know how do you disable the inbuilt webcam on the surface and connect it to the logitech webcam?

[@oztabletpc]

You don't need to disable the inbuilt camera. You need to select the logitech camera in the program you are using. Which program are you using?

[@petergibbons1980]

@@oztabletpc I’m using it mainly with Google Meet. I bought the Logitech 920, as per your recommendation, and am using an Anker media hub to connect the camera / external monitor to the Surface. Hopefully I’ll get it sorted so that I can use the pen with the surface. Thanks for your help!

[@oztabletpc]

@@petergibbons1980 OK, I don't know about Google meet, but there is usually a setting to select your camera in video conferencing apps.

[@mohammadnote2590]

I really enjoyed using Videonot for video notes 🙁

[@jean-claudevijt4695]

Just connect your type cover and use it like a laptop. Isn't it easy? 🙂

[@oztabletpc]

Typing notes leads to poorer memory and understanding. Basically you become a human transcription machine. Watch our upcoming videos to see why... 😊

[@gyozakeynsianism]

I strongly prefer taking notes by hand and recommend that for my (university-level) students. Some of that is just the nature of the subject I teach (economics), which involves a lot of math and graphs and sometimes other diagrams. Some of it is the fact that typing stuff is worse for memory retention (as Brett is apparently going to address in a new video! ^ ^).

[@kas4751]

Can you do one with an iPad? It's the better tablet! :P

[@oztabletpc]

Can you? There's only one of the three scenarios that work on iPad... So is that better?

[@kas4751]

@@oztabletpc maybe if you were to spend as much time on an iPad as you do on a Surface, you'd actually find an equivalent solution on them ;) or do only and exclusively believe in taking handwritten notes on the Surface? ;)

[@oztabletpc]

@@kas4751 I have an iPad mini ATM. Pencil V1... Yuuuccckk! 😢 Nah, seriously you can take notes on iPad and use your Surface for the video call. Split screen, great Mics and camera and notes in OneNote synced from the iPad to boot! I'm not a fan of the iPad. But understand that my perspective is not average. I've been using tablets enthusiastically since 2001!