This all-new version of Microsoft Teams will take over your working life

Small businesses will now be able to utilise video conferencing software and online collaboration tool much easier with the launch of the first ever stand-alone version of Microsoft Teams.

Available now, Teams Essentials provides small businesses with an affordable meeting solution that is ideal for hybrid work environments. At just $ 4 per user per month, the software giant's new offering is one of the most competitively priced video conferencing and collaboration solutions on the market today.

“We know how difficult the past 20 months have been for small businesses,” noted Microsoft's corporate vice president of Modern Work, Jared Spataro. “They’ve had to demonstrate extreme flexibility to adapt, often with limited access to tools and technology. Teams Essentials is built specifically to meet the unique needs of small businesses, enabling them to thrive in this new era of work.”

Microsoft Teams Essentials

SMBs that sign up for Teams Essentials will be able to hold unlimited group meetings for up to 30 hours and meetings with up to 300 people but they'll also get access to 10GB of cloud storage per user.

Teams Essentials also includes all of the existing and upcoming capabilities available in the free version of Teams such as easy invitations that only require an email address, Outlook Calendar and Google Calendar integration, virtual backgrounds, Together mode, always-available chats, polls and more.

Small businesses interested in purchasing Teams Essentials subscriptions for their employees can do so directly through the Teams website or from a variety of Microsoft Cloud Partners including ALSO, Crayon, Ingram, Pax8, Rhipe, TD Synnex, Telefonica (ES), Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone (IT) and Wortmann AG.

While Teams Essentials makes sense for small businesses that want to continue using their existing office software, for just $ 1 more at $ 5 per user per month, they can sign up for Microsoft 365 Business Basic which also includes access to the web and mobile versions of Microsoft's Office apps, 1TB of cloud storage per user, business-class email, Teams meetings recordings with transcripts and more.

Looking to improve your video calls? Check out our roundups of the best video conferencing softwarebest business webcams and best headsets for conference calls

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Rode’s new mini USB microphone is here to take on the Yeti Nano

While the Blue Yeti USB microphone and its more compact Nano successor have been the go-to for many podcasters, Rode is hoping its latest NT-USB Mini will steal their thunder.

Priced at $ 99 (about £79, AU$ 149), the NT-USB Mini costs the same as the Yeti Nano and offers much the same proposition – take a successful USB microphone and shrink it down, condensing controls and maintaining audio quality in the process.

The interface on this little Rode mic is incredibly minimal, with a single dial that adjusts headphone level found on the front, and a USB-C and 3.5mm headphone port found on the rear.

The desktop stand is weighted and is designed to absorb any shocks from a bumped desk. It’s attached magnetically to a 360-degree swivelling mount for the microphone, so you can quickly detach it and mount it on a mic stand or studio arm.

Outside of the company’s reputation for professional, studio-grade audio quality, one of Rode’s standout features is the simplicity in which its microphones interface with other gear. The NT-USB Mini is class-compliant, meaning it will work immediately with any computer or tablet when hooked up via USB, with no drivers, firmware or apps required.

The NT-USB Mini features an integrated pop filter and is constructed from “hard-wearing steel and reinforced nylon resin”, so it should be compact and rugged enough for grab-and-go situations.

The Rode NT-USB Mini is available now in the US for $ 99 with other region’s availability and pricing to follow.

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