Archives for February 2022

Happy Friday! We hope you had a great week. Do you have any big weekend plans? We’d love to hear about them!

In This Issue: Free Stuff? | Sleek Socket Outlet Cover | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Free Stuff?

Happy Friday folks! What is your favorite or most useful thing you’ve ever received from a company? I’m not talking about something you bought…I’m talking bout something they gave you for just doing business with them.

We like giving our customers things. And not just squeezy balls that you throw at your coworker but cool and useful things. Some of the items that we’ve given out over time are polos (everyone does, right?), telescopic flashlights, universal charging cables, and the list goes on. We’re exploring other products to give you and would love to have your input into this.

So what things have you found useful? Or something you wanted to share with others?

Thanks,

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Are you looking for a way to hide ugly cords and outlets? The Sleek Socket Ultra-Thin Outlet Cover is perfect to do just that! Sleek Socket is a small change, yet BIG impact. Discreetly hides the entire outlet, ugly plugs & cords while having full access to your outlets.

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Learning Center Article – “S-Class” Transceivers vs Non “S-Class” Transceivers

When designing high-speed connections, 10G and 40G transceivers have to be carefully selected. Optimizing modules can improve performance and will absolutely impact cost-efficiency. That is why it is so important to distinguish between the various transceiver options. In this case, here is an article where we look at the difference between S-Class and non-S-Class Cisco modules.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Authorities in California found a 73-year-old man who disappeared this week when a freak snowstorm hit the area where he was hiking.
• Thousands of Porsches, Audis, and Lamborghinis were marooned on an unmanned burning cargo ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Nearly 16,000 student loan borrowers who attended for-profit schools will get their debts cleared. Read more here.
• Airbus released details of three “hybrid-hydrogen” concept planes, saying they could enter service by the year 2035.

Today is National Random Acts of Kindness Day! Today, we challenge you to do something that brings someone else joy. Whether you leave a kind note for someone or pay for the person behind you in line – we hope that it creates a wave of positivity!

In This Issue: Customer Service – Make or Break | AC Power Cord | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Customer Service – Make or Break

If you are anything like me, I do most of my stuff online so I really don’t have to deal with people much in managing the services around my house or when ordering stuff. Really, the only time is when I go to a store in person or when there is an issue. Not everything will always go perfectly and I also get that right now many businesses are stressed and stretched thin. Grace should be extended to businesses during this time, but the way a company handles a situation (if there is an issue) can still make or break the deal.

The past few weeks I have had issues with my landscaping service. This is not the first time I’ve had issues over the past year. I have had more than my fair share of them with the company. This was a make-or-break moment for them and they failed. I reached out to them several times about the service and never got a response and no one ever showed up, so this week I fired them. Even when I canceled my service, I had to call them to confirm that they had actually canceled it because my account online still showed active, had a date for the next service (which they hadn’t shown up for the last two), and showed the next billing date, which was coming up soon. I got their voicemail when I called. Their only response was a text message to me a day later saying, “Canceled”. They never reached out to try and resolve the issue, say they were sorry, or tried to keep me.

I feel like I gave them many chances to fix the service issues, which I believe we should especially with the way the world is right now, but I had just reached a point with them. So, now I am shopping for a new mower and accessories to do my own lawn work which, in the long term, I know will be better and I will be happier. On the bright side, I will get more exercise. Haha!

Speaking of exercise, a quick update on the virtual race I mentioned a few weeks back – at a few weeks in, I have completed 124.1 miles of the 828. I am ahead of schedule and it has been an absolute blast! Another cool feature of the virtual race is that they will show you a picture of where you are in the race at that point when you log your time. Below is a picture they sent me yesterday when I finished running. Iceland looks beautiful! I could definitely get used to running with that landscape.

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This heavy-duty AC Power Cord is perfect for your network and data center needs! This power cord is for use with the C3KX-PWR-350WAC, C3KX-PWR-715WAC, and C3KX-PWR-1100WAC power supplies. And better yet – it comes with a lifetime warranty!

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Learning Center Article – What are the Top Cities for IT Grads?

There are over 200,000 open jobs across the U.S. when you search for positions related to computer and informational technology.

Although major cities may seem appealing hubs in the tech industry, they often require people to spend a lot more on general living costs. For those who would like to be in close proximity of their employer, we’ve analyzed 50 metros to find out which cities would be best for graduates looking for a job in computer and informational technology. Learn more about those here.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Google Drive will now have the option to search for documents and files based on the files’ location, type, the people with whom they’ve been shared, and more!
• The Perseverance rover is about to celebrate one year on Mars, and NASA wants you to be part of the party. See how you can join here!
• Cook Islands confirmed its first coronavirus case two years into the pandemic.
• Google announced it’s adopting new privacy restrictions that will cut tracking across apps on its Android devices.

There are 4-days left in the Olympic Games and the talent we’ve seen has been unreal. The U.S. has secured 19 total medals! 8 gold, 7 silver, and 4 bronze!

In This Issue: Meet Iris! | Cisco Chassis Fan | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Meet Iris!

Hello everyone! I’m Iris and I serve as a Customer Service Representative. At CablesAndKits I have many fond memories, but my favorite was the recent 20th-anniversary celebration. It was such a fun time seeing the whole team virtually and celebrating 20 years!

At work I find myself energized by the motivation and support of my co-workers. I love working with them and am inspired by them daily. I also love the day-to-day tasks that I do as they give me the opportunity to learn new things.

Each day I love interacting with our customers. I enjoy the conversations we have and love building relationships over the phone!

If you ever call in, I hope we get the chance to chat!

Iris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Don’t let your Cisco router overheat. Cool things down with our Cisco 2821/2851 Router Replacement Chassis Fan. This fan is compatible with 2821 and 2851 routers. What makes this fan the right investment for your Cisco network? It will replace fan1 or fan2 in the chassis, so you can keep it in stock for whenever you need it most!

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Learning Center Article – Understanding the Basics of Network Switches

Networking is a big topic. In fact, it’s too big for a single conversation. In order to distill such a massive concept into manageable bites, it’s best to look at one component of a network at a time. This time around, that bite is network switches. They come in many shapes and sizes, but you can navigate through the field of options pretty easily when you break switch features into three categories. Read more here.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Remington Arms agreed to settle liability claims from the families impacted by the massacre at Sandy Hook. Remington agreed to pay the families $73 million.
• Sony has officially unveiled the open style Link Buds with Google Assistant and skin touch controls built-in.
• The Super Bowl attracted 112 million viewers across TV and Streaming this year falling just under the record of 114 million in 2015.
• Tim Hortons is focusing its next phase of U.S. expansion on snowbirds and retirees and is eyeing Texas and Florida.

Happy Monday and Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope today brings lots of love, a full pot of coffee (after a late night of the Super Bowl), and your favorite sweet treat!

In This Issue: The Game or the Commercials? | Cisco 2960 Series 24 Port PoE Switch | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – The Game or the Commercials?

Good Monday morning! And Happy Valentine’s Day! What a game last night! I’m not a huge fan of sports in general, but I do appreciate championship games, and I like to see the pinnacle of athleticism being displayed. Last night’s Super Bowl did not disappoint, I didn’t know who was going to win until the very end. I have family that live in LA so I guess I should be a Ram’s fan. I enjoyed the halftime show as well, very nostalgic, but mostly I enjoyed snacking and watching some of the commercials like the flaming hot Frito-Lay commercial and the GM Dr. Evil commercial. Anyways who did you root for in the Super Bowl? And more importantly what was your favorite commercial? Or were you like me and focused on enjoying the snacks and the commercials?

P.S. I forgot to mention that I named my plants with the help of one of our subscribers, Jen N. I’ve named the Purple Waffle – “Waffle”, The Rabbit Foot’s Fern – “Peter”, and the Nerve Plant – “Toni”! Thanks again, Jen! I will post an update later, but the plants are healthy and are still alive!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This Cisco Catalyst 2960 series fixed-configuration switch is a leading Layer 2 switch that comes with (24) 10/100 Fast Ethernet Ports as well as 2 dual-purpose uplinks. This switch is an excellent option for enterprise, midmarket, and branch office networks to provide a lower total cost of ownership. The Layer 2 capabilities and fixed-configuration access provide improved operations, security, sustainability, and enhanced workspace experience.

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Learning Center Article – Best Way to Connect Multiple Switches

What is the purpose of connecting multiple switches? In most cases, the goal is to expand network access. When you connect switches, you get more ports that can be used, and that means more devices can utilize the network.

Depending on the configuration, connecting multiple switches can also increase the bandwidth of the network. This is important for any demanding network that is short on total bandwidth. Read more here on the best way to connect multiple switches.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI.
• Coinbase’s Super Bowl commercial led to massive traffic to the company’s app, causing it to go down temporarily after it aired.
• Ukraine has requested a meeting with Russia within 48 hours as U.S. intelligence officials warn that a Russian invasion could begin this week.
• The US has temporarily suspended Mexican avocado imports after a US plant safety inspector received a threatening phone call.

Super Bowl weekend is here! It’ll be the Rams vs. the Bengals. Who are you rooting for? Or will you only be watching for the halftime show?

In This Issue: Vacation Planning | Yealink UVC20 Full HD Webcam | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Vacation Planning

Happy Friday folks! Our family has started talking about vacation this summer. Pretty much every option is being tossed around right now. Our options include going to the beach, or a theme park, to doing a history tour around one of our historic cities.

That has me wondering about you. What plans have you made for vacation?

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Level up your next remote meeting with full HD audio and video with the Yealink UVC20 webcam! The Yealink UVC20 is a full HD webcam featuring both 1080P HD video and ultra HD audio. Built with a 5 megapixel full HD glass lens, this camera delivers exceptional quality video and gives users a premium desktop video experience. This camera is perfect for those who work remotely, as well as for distance education, training, live streams, telemedicine, and more!

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Learning Center Article – Difference between DAC and AOC Cables

Datacenter networking is a different beast. Every component has to keep up with the most demanding technical specifications. It makes things expensive. If you want to find ways to keep costs under control, you need to know how to optimize every cable in the system. One step towards that optimization is understanding the differences between DAC and AOC cables.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Who’s ready to enjoy some wings on Super Bowl Sunday?! Industry experts say the Super Bowl fare should be available but will cost an arm and a leg.
• Did you catch the trades that happened in the NBA yesterday? Here’s a recap.
• Images of Venus’ “night side” show a never-before-seen look at Earth’s neighbor.
• Apple is making changes to the Apple AirTag to make it harder for someone to track you.

Have you been keeping up with the Winter Olympics? It’s such an exciting time for so many! The US has officially scored 4 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal!

In This Issue: Spring Fever | 5ft Blue CAT6 Ethernet Patch Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Spring Fever

All it takes is the weather warming up just a little and the sun being out and “BOOM!” I have Spring Fever and all I want to do is get outside and play in the dirt. It is way too early for this but I am so ready for it. I am over the cold weather and over the snow (well, in Georgia, the VERY cold rain and clouds.) I am ready for warmer (not, Georgia hot) weather!

Like yesterday and then again today, we are getting up into the low to mid-60s with sunshine. That is perfect weather. On top of that, every time I walk outside or let the dog out in the backyard, all I see are the landscaping and planting projects that I want to jump into right now. Well, those and other things outside I want to start working on. Plus, it would be nice to be able to sit out on the patio and enjoy the sun and not have to wear 3 layers of clothes. Haha!

Now with all of that being said, the aspect of Spring that I don’t care for is the severe weather and the fact that some of our biggest ice storms/winter weather has historically come in March. That still is detouring my current Spring Fever and need to get outside and do stuff.

What about you? Got big plans for outdoor stuff in the Spring or have you gotten the Spring Fever bug yet?

Have a great Thursday!

Jason

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our Cat6 Easyboot Ethernet cables make it simple for you to manage your Ethernet cabling with a tabbed boot which makes it easy to connect or disconnect the cable in hard to reach, tight, high-density situations, unlike the older style Half-moon boot cables – UTP, Pure Copper Wire, Lifetime Warranty – Backwards compatible with all Cat5e applications.

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Learning Center Article – The Difference Between Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a

New technology, advances in automation, and overflowing opportunities are unlocked every day. For businesses, research teams, and tech projects around the world, there is a constant balance between getting the right amount of power versus spending an exact tech budget wisely.

Cabling and other infrastructure choices are in a precarious position, with many low IT budgets or simply cheap options tempting the cost-conscious planner. Here are a few Ethernet cable options to help you understand your available choices.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Figure skater Nahan Chen has scored his first Olympic goal medal.
• Samsung’s new Ultra phone has a built-in stylus.
• Chloe Kim dominated in the halfpipe and has won her second Olympic gold medal.
• Biden administration rolled out a plan to allocate $5 billion to states to fund electric vehicle chargers.