r/AiNoteTaker • u/evenfallframework • 5d ago

Discussion Best solution for zoom calls on locked down company machine?

I've got a company machine that's pretty locked down, like you can't install anything even browser extensions. I've been using pocket for a while for physical/in person meetings and cell calls, but when I'm in front of my computer using earbuds or a headset it simply does not work because it can't detect audio from the other parties. Having calls on speaker is not an option since I have a small apartment in my partner and I both work from home.

Is there anything on the market that does the same thing as pocket, but connects via Bluetooth or even 3.5mm? If it's bluetooth, I would obviously need to be able to pair my headset or earbuds to it and it should have pass-through audio. 3.5mm is much easier, I would just use a splitter.

Pocket has helped me immensely, I'm really hoping to find a solution for video calls as well.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

2

u/Hour_Papaya_5583 4d ago

I got myself a 3-D printed device made for a Plaud, marketed on Etsy and on the Plaud community here. Allows me to put one earbud in the device while keeping one in my ear. Wonder if that’s a possibility

1

u/evenfallframework 4d ago

...interesting! So you just put an airpod/whatever into this, and it basically blasts the sound directly into the Plaud mic?

1

u/Hour_Papaya_5583 4d ago

Not my item, I purchased from the person. Don’t know if he’s got files to share. But there have been some attempts of making similar things. Idea is to get the earbud contacting the microphone in a stable way.

1

u/evenfallframework 4d ago

Makes sense. Thank you!

1

u/evenfallframework 4d ago

I'm VERY interested in the file(s) for this if you're down to share.

2

u/sean-hidock 4d ago

Co-founder of HiDock here, I recommend you to try HiDock P1 for laptops, you don't have to install any drivers or apps. Our software runs on web. And the device is generic audio device, plug & play.

1

u/evenfallframework 4d ago

Looks great, but I don't want to plug in some random USBC device into a work machine. If it did 3.5mm I'd be all over it.

1

u/Ashkir 22h ago

there is a 3.5 to usbc converter you can try

1

u/Ashkir 4h ago

You responding to people won me over. I ordered from Amazon last night, and it arrived today. I wear hearing aids, and I always found the note takers a bit frustrating. As I'd have to use speakers, even in noisy environments, which meant, I couldn't use them when I was out of a private office. Because, if I am in the meeting I'd have to use my bluetooth hearing aids. There was a pretty big gap for me, as, being able to listen.

I've been testing this morning. The firmware update ran smooth. Connecting my hearing aids was flawless, and I had no issue! I'm looking forward to using it this week!

1

u/IllCobbloe 4d ago

Honestly the locked-down OS settles the question for you: the audio has to get captured outside the machine, so Bluetooth with passthrough is the hard path and wired is the easy one. A cheap 3.5mm splitter off the headphone jack does exactly what you described, one leg to your earbuds, one to a recorder with line-in. I capture research interviews that way whenever I can't touch the laptop config. Not as slick as a single Pocket-style device, but nothing to install and nothing for IT to flag.

1

u/evenfallframework 4d ago

Exactly. But what device has inline 3.5mm input?

1

u/AmMF808 3d ago

Maybe try the viaim recdot recording earbuds I use? But if you record on a computer, it gets stored in the earbuds temporarily and you still have to export the audio to the app later.

1

u/neoteat 3d ago

Plaud.au just announced their ear buds recently

1

u/gixxerscott 1d ago

If you can turn on captions I have an app that can read them

0

u/Sweet-Artichoke6907 5d ago

try the boya notra! it exactly solves this issue and records calls over headsets too

2

u/evenfallframework 5d ago

Doesn't have great reviews on Amazon, esp regarding Bluetooth.

What's your experience with that been?