Updates and More

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What’s New in Version 1.1

This book aims to reflect what its readers find most valuable, in addition to covering all the basics. This update incorporates suggestions from readers, as well as improvements, changes, and new features that Zoom has introduced since the previous release.

I added a large, detailed new chapter called Present in Zoom that dives deeply into presentation advice. This includes using multiple apps at once, multi-camera setups, quirks with Apple Keynote, and other tricks and techniques for interactive sessions with slide decks, demos, and questions. It comes from hands-on experience and insight from business professionals using Zoom routinely.

Based on interest and need in improving one’s camera feed and presentations into Zoom, I also beefed up the section on using alternatives to built-in webcams in Upgrade Your Video. It now includes mirrorless and DSLR camera input, a brief overview of virtual cameras, and more depth throughout.

For even more on virtual cameras created by mixing still and video inputs in software, I also added Appendix A: Virtual Cameras. A virtual camera uses software to pass through video from other sources with modifications and to mix still, rendered, live, and other sources in a sort of studio environment. With several software options, including a robust free offering, virtual cameras are a nice addition to your toolkit, particularly for more lively slideshows.

In addition, you should take note of these significant changes to the book and to the Zoom service:

• Meetings may have three kinds of hosts: the main host, alternative hosts, and co-hosts. Zoom has emphasized and expanded these roles and continued to explained them better. The previous edition of the book mentioned the topic in passing; I’ve added a section with a complete rundown, Divvy Up Host Roles, and enhanced mentions of these roles throughout the book.

• You can hand off the host role within a meeting or when you’re a host and you leave a meeting. I’ve collected all that information into one spot: Hand Off the Host Role.

• On May 30, 2020, the company upgraded their videoconference security to a far improved encryption algorithm. This requires the use of Zoom version 5 apps on every platform. It’s hard to miss this upgrade, because if you’re using an older version, you are told you need the newer one. See Encryption.

• At some point, Zoom throttled video quality to 480p (standard) for free-tier video meetings, while making 720p available as an option that has to be enabled only for meetings run by paid accounts. It’s restricted 1080p even further. See Zoom Degrading Video for Now.

• Zoom now calls the shared secret used to join meetings and webinars a passcode instead of a password to avoid confusion about the difference between account-level passwords and these entry codes. See Zoom Replaces “Password” with “Passcode”.

• Starting September 27, 2020, all non-government paid accounts must have either a passcode or a Waiting Room (or both) for all meetings; government users follow on October 18, 2020. See Plan for Safety as a Host for more generally on this topic.

• Zoom removed telephone call-in options from its free Basic tier plans for audio participation. This was always a nice perk that cost Zoom money, and with increased volume, it’s not surprising it was removed. You need at least a Pro (single-host) account to let participants participate by phone. See Choose a Tier and Configure Dial-In Access.

What Was New in Versions 1.0.1/1.0.2

These updates largely fixed minor errors and typos found in version 1.0 and some additional ones in 1.0.1.

The 1.0.1 update also featured the following changes:

• I included the latest information on Zoom’s current and upcoming plans related to improving security and encryption.

• The book added insight into how Mobile Participants May Find Large Meetings Frustrating.

• The spotlight feature available to hosts to promote a particular video stream front and center to all meeting participants can be confusing; I dug further into the details. See Work with Groups in Meetings.