Archives for February 2023

Happy Monday and Happy Presidents Day! We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is geared up to have a great week!

In This Issue: Fun at Top Golf! | Cisco 3800 Series Router | Useful Tips for Selecting PoE Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Fun at Top Golf!

Happy Monday and President’s Day!

Hope you had a great weekend. On Saturday, my sister-in-law and her husband invited us over for my first round of Top Golf. Luckily, we had a babysitter secured and were able to go sans kids. The only golfing I’ve done has been various forms of putt-putt, so this was definitely a new experience.

My first round was a disaster, I kept missing the ball or bouncing the ball toward my neighbors. In my second round, I got into the swing of things (literally) and was able to score some good points. Surprisingly, my forearms were, of all places, the sorest the day after. I for sure want to play again.

What impressed me the most about the whole experience was the ball tracking. I think they use some sort of sensor inside the golf balls, it’s like magic. The ball is pretty accurately tracked as it’s flying through the air, and you get to see a replay after every hit on screens.

If you have a Top Golf or something similar, I definitely recommend giving it a try. Even if you aren’t a seasoned golfer, it’s fun either way! Hope you have a great week!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco builds on its industry-standard line of Integrated Services Routers with the 3800 series. These routers offer superior scalability and investment protection through their built-in modular design. Application Layer functions, intelligent network services, and converged communications all combine to provide a true seamless, robust, intelligent routing solution. With added support for over 90 new and existing modules, the Cisco 3800 series will lower your TCO (total cost of ownership) while providing a voice, data, and security backbone for today’s growing business network infrastructure needs.

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Learning Center Article – Useful Tips for Selecting PoE Cables

PoE is an amazing way to make networks more efficient. By cutting power cables and the infrastructure needed to run them, you can really save a lot of money on parts of your network.

On top of that, modern PoE equipment is powerful, easy to manage (if that’s your preference), and full of potential. With a little bit of planning, you can use PoE to improve what your network can handle while saving money at the same time.

If that sounds like a nice goal, then there are a few tips that can help you strategize around PoE a little better.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The Terraces was just listed for $200 million, making it the most expensive home in the Caribbean. The sprawling estate spans 17 acres and nine structures, and it features three swimming pools. It’s located on the small private island of Mustique, where Mick Jagger and Tommy Hilfiger have homes.
• President Biden arrived in Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv early Monday morning in a surprise visit just ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country. Biden delivered remarks and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mariinsky Palace to announce an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. assistance. 
• Meta is testing a new subscription service – Meta Verified – that would let Facebook and Instagram users pay to have a verified account.
• The Memory and Energy Saver modes that Google announced for Chrome on Mac, Windows, Linux, as well as Chromebooks, in December are now widely rolling out. Read more here.

Happy Friday! We hope you had a great week! Do you have any big weekend plans? We hope you have a safe and fun weekend!

In This Issue: The Big Reveal! | Kendall Howard 2 Piece Rack Conversion Kit | Basics of GPU Servers | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – The Big Reveal!

Happy Friday! What a joy it has been this week to learn more about the larger organizations we gave to in our CK Giving efforts in 2022. We look forward to the giving we will be able to do throughout 2023!

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To end the week, I figured I’d let you all know the result of the joyful gender reveal party my uncle and younger brother hosted this weekend! Prior to the reveal, I took a video of everyone in my family and has them guess what they thought the sweet nugget might be – the overwhelming majority were team girl!

Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for… here’s a sweet video sharing the surprise!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This two-piece rack conversion kit can be used to attach a two-post rack to the wall for extra stability or can be used in addition to a four-piece conversion kit to make the new four-post rack even stronger. Simply screw the conversion arms into the back of the front Telco rack and the front of the back Telco rack and you have a fully functional adjustable 4-post rack.

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Learning Center Article – Basics of GPU Servers

Servers are essential in the modern world. They do the heavy lifting that allows all of us to enjoy the many perks of a digitally connected life. Whether browsing the internet, using a favorite app, or even talking on the phone, servers are playing critical roles at every juncture.

One of those reasons is the use of GPUs. GPU servers are becoming more common, and they offer a lot to any enterprise that might put them to use.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Tiger Woods is back but he’s still a work in progress. Read more about his progress here. 
• Tesla is voluntarily recalling 362,758 vehicles and warns that its experimental driver-assistance software, marketed as Full Self-Driving Beta, may cause crashes. The recall notice was posted on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday.
• Paramount Global said it added 9.9 million Paramount+ subscribers during the fourth quarter.
• The number of islands in Japan is expected to more than double after 7,000 new islands it didn’t know existed were discovered. Read more here. 

Happy Thursday & Happy National Do a Grouch a Favor Day! We all have bad days every now and again, so today do what you can to turn someone’s frown upside down! 🙃 –> 🙂

In This Issue: CK Giving, Path United | Dell PowerEdge T710 Gold Series Tower Server | Understanding Wavelengths | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – CK Giving, Path United

Happy Thursday!

In 2021, we were introduced to Path United by through a non-profit wish book for charities in our area. We were interested in getting involved with them because their work is relatable to Craig’s experience growing up. They ” work with community leaders, churches, and local schools to transform mobile home communities through showing children God’s love while building positive relationships and empowering them socially and emotionally.” Craig was raised by a single mom, lived most of his childhood in a mobile home park, and quit school at age 15 to work full time. Now he’s our CEO! He’s lived similar experiences to many of the kids in the Path United program, so he can connect with them in ways other adults may not be able. His outlook on life, stories of adventures, and tales from his many entrepreneurial experiences have been inspiring to the kids in the program.

The Path United staff is wonderful; they care deeply for the children and run great programs. Craig and I have had the opportunity to visit a few of their sites, and Craig has been able to share his story in one mobile home park so far. The kids really connected with his experiences, and they loved seeing the flashy red car that he brought along for show and tell. We have plans in January and February to share with two more sites.

I would encourage you to find a way to use your life experiences to positively impact the lives of those around you!

Thank you for letting me share these organizations with you this week! We hope to have lots more to share throughout this year. I hope your 2023 is off to a great start and look forward to writing to you all again soon!

Christin

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Dell PowerEdge T710 servers were developed with purposeful design, energy-optimized technology, advanced virtualization capabilities, and simplified systems management. These servers provide awesome performance and are a perfect fit for enterprises, remote workgroups, and expanding businesses.

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Learning Center Article – Understanding Wavelengths

No one ever accused fiber optics of being simple technology. Instead, we tend to acknowledge that this powerful technology is difficult to design and complicated in its application. Mastering those complications is often worth it because it enables us to build better networks and do a better job with those networks. In that endeavor, we can tackle a brief tutorial on wavelengths and how they impact fiber optic designs.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Marvel Studio’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania” currently holds a “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This is only the second Marvel Cinematic Universe film to earn a Rotten rating.
• A Hebrew Bible that’s more than 1,000 years old could sell for up to $50 million at auction this spring. That price would make the Codex Sassoon the most valuable historical document ever auctioned.
• McDonald’s customers in Germany will be able to order plant-based McPlant nuggets starting Feb. 22.
  The nuggets are made from peas, corn, wheat and tempura breading.
• A new James Webb Space Telescope image reveals never-before-seen details of Pandora’s Cluster, a megacluster where three galaxy clusters are merging. Read more here. 

Happy Wednesday! We hope you are having a successful week. If we can be praying for you in any way this week, please reach out!

In This Issue: CK Giving, Lightway Recovery | Cisco 1921 Series Integrated Services Router | Understanding Ethernet Cable Gauge (AWG) | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – CK Giving, Lightway Recovery

Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a great week.

Today’s highlighted organization is Lightway Recovery from our 2022 CK Giving efforts. Lightway was founded by our former HR Manager, Susan, and her husband, Farley. We knew from the time we met Susan that starting a live-in addiction recovery program for women was her dream. We were able to have her with us for seven years before that dream became her full-time gig.

In October of 2022, we had the privilege of attending Lightway’s first annual charity gala. We had so much fun! Susan, Farley, and some of their daughters were in attendance. It was great to catch up with all of them, and we were able to hear Susan and her daughter, Carson, share their story on stage for the first time. Hearing the entirety of Susan and Carson’s story was special because we lived much of the story right alongside them. Carson was a young teenager struggling with addiction when Susan joined the CK team, and now she’s sober with a beautiful family and thriving business of her own. Her story of HOPE is inspiring!

We’ve supported Lightway Recovery in several ways over the years; this year may be my favorite. We were able to sponsor their gala and also donate a scholarship for a young woman struggling with addiction to live at the Lightway home for 6 months while taking steps toward healing.

We love the work that Lightway does in our community and are blessed to be able to come alongside them and help positively impact the lives of women and their families.

Christin

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Cisco ® 1900 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISRs) build on 25 years of Cisco innovation and product leadership. The new platforms are architected to enable the next phase of branch-office evolution, providing rich-media collaboration to the branch office while maximizing operational cost savings. The Cisco Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 (ISR G2) platforms are future-enabled with multicore CPUs, Gigabit Ethernet switching with enhanced Power over Ethernet (PoE), and new energy monitoring and control capabilities that enhance overall system performance.

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Learning Center Article – Understanding Ethernet Cable Gauge (AWG)

When you have to put a network together, you’re going to compare a lot of different components to try to squeak out better performance without spending obscene amounts of money. Because of that, you’re likely to consider using Ethernet for many (if not all) parts of your network.

Take a couple of minutes to learn about Ethernet cable thickness (often called gauge), then you can leverage these differences for a better network.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Two American F-16 warplanes intercepted four Russian aircraft near Alaska on Tuesday. 
• Total mortgage application volume fell 7.7% last week as mortgage rates jumped higher. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances increased to 6.39% last week from 6.18% the previous week.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill is opening a new brand called Farmesa Fresh Eatery in a Santa Monica ghost kitchen. The brand’s bowls will feature a protein, green or grain, two sides, one of five sauces and a topping option. 
• Ford Motor has paused production and shipments of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup due to a potential battery issue. The EV truck is being closely watched by investors, as it’s the first mainstream electric pickup on the market and a major launch for Ford.

Happy Valentine’s Day CK Family! We hope today is filled with lots of love and joy. ❤️

In This Issue: CK Giving, Freedom Path Counseling | LC to LC Singlemode Duplex Fiber Optic Adapter | How to Choose the Right Transceiver for Your Network | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – CK Giving, Freedom Path Counseling

Happy Tuesday!

Freedom Path Counseling is one organization that CK partnered with in 2022. The organization may seem familiar, as we highlighted it before in our 2021 giving. Freedom Path was founded by Chad, a former CK team member, and his wife, Heidi. They offer a variety of counseling services on a “pay what you can afford” model subsidized through donations. They serve the same area where the CK office and many of our team members are located. They do a great job of keeping their donors informed about what is happening throughout the year, and in one of their newsletters defined their purpose this way:

“Freedom Path Counseling exists to see transformation in the lives of hurting people. We provide critical counseling services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families in English, Spanish, and Creole. We believe healing opens the door to freedom from destructive behaviors, victory over life’s difficult circumstances, and the restoration of relationships. Through counseling, we join those struggling in the process of moving from frustration, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness to having a clear plan for creating a life characterized by inner joy and true peace.”

As a business, we are resource generation engines, and organizations such as Freedom Path need resources to provide the services that they do. By partnering together, they are able to focus on their mission, and we are able to experience the joy of giving along with being a part of something that is making a difference in our community. We’re looking forward to a continued relationship with Chad, Heidi and the Freedom Path team in 2023!

Christin

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Product Spotlights & Updates

These adapters can be used to provide a connection between two LC duplex fiber cables and are compliant with international standards, making them compatible within a wide range of fiber optic applications.

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Learning Center Article – How to Choose the Right Transceiver for Your Network

When you’re designing or expanding a fiber optics network, there are many things to consider. The networks grow in complication very quickly, and any miscalculation can prove expensive, if not disastrous.

So, if you’re looking for the right transceivers for your network, you have to consider all of the angles. Thankfully, that’s a lot easier if you have a quick checklist that can keep you honest. Really, you can break all of this down into five categories to remember as you browse transceivers.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Millennials’ favorite purple dinosaur is returning to TV and toy shelves. Mattel is relaunching its Barney franchise through a series of television, film and YouTube videos alongside a line of toys, books, clothing, and accessories. A new animated series is set for release in 2024, followed by a product line in 2025.
• Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle venture Zoox said that it is now testing its self-driving robotaxis on public roads in California with passengers on board. The vehicles have no steering wheel or pedals, and they have bidirectional driving capabilities and four-wheel steering, enabling them to change directions without the need to reverse.
• Ford is planning to work with its Chinese supplier to build a new $3.5 billion electrical vehicle plant in Michigan. 
• US workplace safety regulators have fined a Pennsylvania factory after two workers fell into a vat of chocolate and had to be rescued. The Mars Wrigley factory in the city of Elizabethtown was fined more than $14,500 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Happy Monday! Congrats to the Kansas City Chiefs on their big win last night. Did you stay up to watch the entire game? What commercials were your favorites?

In This Issue: CK Daily 2022 Impact | Cisco 8821 Unified Color Wireless VOIP Phone | What is a RAID? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – CK Daily 2022 Impact

Hi friends. It’s Christin here. I think the last time you heard from me was in December of 2021. I miss sharing with you and hearing from you! I hope you are continuing to enjoy the CK Daily! The team has done a great job sharing insights into life here at CK and about things that matter to them.

I wanted to write today to share a few notes with you all about the giving efforts we were able to accomplish at the end of 2022.

During December we like to take the time to give you a peek behind the curtain of how we do things with our giving, not to brag at all, but to bring you along on the journey and maybe inspire you to give in your own way. I hope you enjoyed hearing about some of the causes that are important to our team in the CK Giving notes that were here in the CK Daily. Giving to support our community and those with passion towards their causes brings Craig and I great joy. We hope you’ll find some of that joy this year too!

2022 was a wonderful year for us at CK, mostly because of you guys, our customers! We made some strides in goals we have to serve you better, to be a trusted source to help you complete your projects on time. We appreciate you trusting us to provide what you need for your IT projects! Each year we set aside a percentage of our profits to charitable causes, and we like to take you along for the journey as we give away some of those funds in December. Besides the $500 per employee donations you were able to read about, we also partnered with some special organizations that make significant impacts on our community.

Over the next three days, we’ll chat about the work that Freedom Path Counseling, Lightway Recovery, and Path United are doing.

Look forward to sharing!

Christin

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This Cisco CP-8821-K9 wireless IP phone is ideal for both users in office environments as well as in rigorous workspaces. This phone is rugged and can stand up to shock, dust, and water.

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Learning Center Article – What is a RAID?

When it comes to computer systems and servers, you have a lot of data to manage. It’s normal to want robust backups so that you never lose important information. At the same time, backups are costly, and they can slow down server systems.

In order to find the best options for various goals, you can manage storage disks in a number of different ways, and one of the most trusted and popular options is to implement RAID.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The U.S. military on Sunday shot down another unidentified flying object over Lake Huron in Michigan. The Defense Department (DOD) said President Joe Biden, shortly before 2:42 p.m., directed an F-16 to fire an AIM-9X missile to shoot down an airborne object flying at around 20,000 feet over Lake Huron. The DOD said the path and altitude “raised concerns, including that it could be a hazard to civil aviation.”
• Hogwarts Legacy has got off to a very big start and is comfortably the No.1 game of the week. It is the biggest launch for any Harry Potter game ever, with sales 64% higher than the previous best.
• Did you miss the Superbowl last night? Catch up on everything you may have missed here!
• Rescuers are continuing to dig for survivors a week after the Turkey-Syria earthquake. People buried under rubble in collapsed buildings in southern Turkey continue to defy the odds, surviving freezing temperatures and a week without water.