Archives for July 2023

Rise and shine, it’s Monday! Cheers to a week full of possibilities, opportunities, and full pots of coffee. Have a great week! ☕

In This Issue: End of Summer! | Yealink WH63 Convertible DECT Wireless Convertible Headset | How to use DAC Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – End of Summer!

Happy Monday!

Summer’s coming to an end for my daughter, and she’ll be starting school this week. She’s excited to be going back, mostly excited about seeing all of her friends. It’s a little bittersweet for me, it’s a reminder that another year has passed, and another summer has ended, and I’m growing older and she’s growing older, and the world keeps turning and turning.

Sometimes I just want to stop time, stop her from growing up, but I know that’s part of life. That’s why it’s so important to not to take for granted the little things in life. The moments with your loved one. Didn’t mean to get too sentimental, but I think I feel this fleeting feeling at the start of every school year. One thing I am looking forward to along with the end of summer is the end of this scorching heat! I know many of you are in the same boat or even a worse boat, haha. Well I hope that the end of summer will bring you relief from the heat and that you have a great week!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Yealink WH63 is an entry-level convertible DECT wireless headset that works seamlessly with major UC platforms. Additionally, it is Microsoft Teams certified. This plug-and-play headset provides crystal-clear audio thanks to the Yealink Super Wideband HQ Audio Technology and the Acoustic Shield Technology.

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Learning Center Article – How to use DAC Cables

Fiber optic networking runs the world, but designing and maintaining a network is not a simple task. You’ll have to compare a lot of different equipment choices, and considering the power and equipment demands, it can be easy to go over your budget.

Finding ways to save money without sacrificing performance is essential, and one tool that can help you with this is the DAC cable.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• A bipartisan push in Washington to clamp down on credit card fees is pitting retailers like Walmart against network payment processors such as Visa.
• Meta users have less than one month left to apply for their share of a $725 million settlement over Facebook privacy violations.
• Meta now has an in-house studio dubbed Ouro Interactive that’s focused on making first-party VR games for Horizon Worlds.
• X, formerly known as Twitter, has officially retired its famous blue and white bird logo.

Happy Friday & Happy National Milk Chocolate Day! It’s the perfect day to indulge in the velvety smoothness of this beloved treat. Whether you prefer it in bars, truffles, or as a delightful coating, milk chocolate is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

In This Issue: Summer Memories! | Meraki 4/7 dBi Dual-Band Omni Antenna | What Is SD-WAN? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Summer Memories!

Happy Friday, folks! It’s the end of July, and we’re approaching the start of a new school year in our house! While we’re ready for the routine that comes with a school year, we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to summer. 🌞

We made many memories this summer and are already planning for next summer! We don’t typically go out further than a year to make plans. Do you plan out further than a year? Do you have a big trip planned?

I also like to take some time at the end of each season (or quarter) to think about the memories we made during that time. I always find that brings a sense of gratitude. What memories did you make this summer? Did you go somewhere for the first time? I’d love to hear about your summer!

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Meraki MA-ANT-20 antenna is a multi-band, omnidirectional antenna designed for use with Meraki APs that have N-type connectors. Itis a versatile antenna and is suitable for a broad range of applications. Sold in sets of 2.

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Learning Center Article – What Is SD-WAN?

Networking is already a vast topic, but when you’re trying to build a large network that doesn’t really fit into a single, centralized location, things get even more complicated.

To help you get ahead of the curve, this quick guide is going to discuss SD-WAN. It’s a powerful way to approach network design and management, and after you learn about it, it could save you a lot of time and money. It could also help you reimagine your whole network to great effect.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• McDonald’s teased a new spinoff restaurant brand it’s creating. The company will test CosMc’s in a handful of sites in “a limited geography” in early 2024. CosMc is an alien from outer space who craves McDonald’s food and appeared in its advertisements decades ago.
• WhatsApp is making your conversations more fun with a new feature called instant video messages. It lets you record and send short video messages directly from the chat, similar to audio recordings. These videos can be up to 60 seconds long and appear circular in the chat.
• SpaceX was set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket and then a Falcon Heavy rocket from Florida as little as 45 minutes apart on Thursday evening. But SpaceX postponed the Falcon Heavy launch. Space. Force noted that the pair of SpaceX launches would have broken a record set by the Gemini 11 mission in September 1966.
• Ever since Apple introduced AirTags back in 2021 and disrupted the Bluetooth tracking market, there have been serious concerns about bad actors using them to invade others’ privacy. And although Apple devices receive alerts when an unknown AirTag is following them, Android users do not have such a feature. Now, in an effort to combat this issue, Google is finally rolling out the “unknown tracker alerts” feature, which aims to protect users from potential stalking attempts or unlawful activities involving Bluetooth tracking devices, including Apple AirTags.

Good morning and Happy Thursday! We’ve almost reached the end of the week, and the finish line is in sight. What are your weekend plans?

In This Issue: Escaping the Cooking Lull | Keystone Wall Plate | Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switch Hardware Installation Guide | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Escaping the Cooking Lull

Happy Thursday!

Lately, I’ve found myself in a bit of a cooking lull – you know, that phase where you keep making the same old dishes over and over again, and it’s getting kinda boring. Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking, but I’m craving some fresh inspiration in the kitchen! It’s like my taste buds are pleading for something exciting and new to tantalize them. I’ve been daydreaming about discovering unique recipes that will reignite my passion for cooking and make me feel like a master chef once again. Whether it’s exotic flavors from distant lands or innovative twists on classic dishes, I just want to shake things up a bit and surprise myself.

So, if anyone has some fantastic recipes up their sleeve, please share the love and help me break free from this cooking rut! Let’s get those pots and pans sizzling with excitement once again.

Joi

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Keystone plates offer maximum versatility because you can add, reduce or simply change the connections needed on the plate. They offer the best way to install the variety of today’s wiring and cabling. This is the perfect solution for terminating your in-wall wiring.

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Learning Center Article – Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switch Hardware Installation Guide

When you need a large, powerful network, you need equipment that can keep everything connected. For high-end Enterprise applications, the Cisco Catalyst 9200 series is an excellent choice. It’s a stackable switch with high speeds and capacity, and it can form the backbone of a very powerful network.

If you have chosen Cisco Catalyst 9200 for your networking needs, you may need installation instructions. Below, you’ll find a quick overview of how to install the devices as well as links to the formal Cisco guides and full detailed instructions.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Shares of McDonald’s have risen 10% this year, giving it a market value of $213 billion.
  Coca-Cola is done hiking prices this year in developed markets like the U.S. and Europe.
• GlaxoSmithKline CEO Emma Walmsley said she expects uptake for the company’s newly approved RSV vaccine to start off slower than it did for its blockbuster shingles shot, but she is confident that the shot will drive future sales.
• The popular AI chatbot ChatGPT is now available for Android users in the U.S., India, Bangladesh and Brazil. Artificial intelligence industry leader OpenAI said it plans to expand the rollout to additional countries over the next week.
• Some Xbox controllers will be receiving a new feature that allows gamers to map keyboard keys to their gamepads. Xbox Insider program members in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead tiers can now map keyboard keys to their Xbox controllers, making PC games more accessible

Happy Wednesday & Happy Bagelfest Day! Today we recognize the kosher carbohydrate many love to enjoy with a delicious schmear on top – bagels! What’s your favorite bagle and schmear combo? 🥯

In This Issue: Big Life Adventures 🐶🎓🎒🍼 | Cisco Meraki MX84 Security Appliance | Is a Cat6 Cable the Same as an Ethernet Cable? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Big Life Adventures 🐶🎓🎒🍼

Good morning & Happy Wednesday CK family! I hope everyone is having a great week.

Can you believe the summer is almost over? The next few weeks are big weeks for our family. I’m having a baby, my mom’s kicking off the school year, and my younger brother is heading off to college. The timing of all of this has been slightly stressful for my family, epsically since we have no idea when the little guy is going to decide he wants to make is apperance into the world, but we’re all just taking it day by day.

I am in disbelief that my younger brother is heading to college. My parents will officially be empty nesters! I’m sure they are processing that, but they’ll still have 4 dogs to keep them company. My mom always gives us a hard time that when each of us have gone off to school we’ve either left them with a dog or have brought a dog home, and that’s exactly what has happened. But, they wouldn’t have it any other way (or maybe they would, and they just won’t tell us haha).

My younger brother’s dog is atleast 10 years old. We rescued him quite a while ago and he’s been attached to his hip every sense. We say that when we got him, he was his emotional support animal and as Boomer (his dog) has gotten older, my brother is his emotional support human. The roles have very much reversed!

When I was in college, I volunteered at the shelter and I’ll never forget getting a call from the shelter leader letting me know that Aurieal (now Aurie) was going to be put down over the Christmas break if no one had adopted him. He had been there for 6-months and over my time volunteering, I grew a strong liking towards him, so on my way out of town I stopped by the shelter adopted him and drove him 8-hours to his new home.

I didn’t tell my parents until I was on the way home and the conversation with my mom went something like “Hey mom, I’ve got an 80lb dog in my car that I just adopted who’s going to be you and dad’s new pet. If you don’t mind telling dad, that would be great! Be home soon!” Aurie and my dad weren’t the greatest of friends at first, but after many years and lots of treats and snuggles – they are best buds.

Cheers to the next several weeks and all the adventures to come! Do you have any big things going on in your life over the next few weeks?

Have a great week!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco Meraki MX family of devices are multifunctional security & SD-WAN etnerprise appliances that feature a wide range of capabilities to address a wide variety of use cases – from an all-in-one device. Organizations of all sizes and across all industries rely on the MX to deliver secure connectivity to hub locations or multi-cloud environments, as well as application quality of experience (QoE), through advanced analytics with machine learning.

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Learning Center Article – Is a Cat6 Cable the Same as an Ethernet Cable?

When you’re trying to make a network that is fast and stable, you usually have to run cables. If you want to save money along the way, then more often than not, you’re going to turn to Ethernet cables.

But, what is Ethernet? Which cable should you use? What about Cat6? Isn’t it supposed to be better?

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Dermatologists advise against spending money on biotin or collagen supplements, recommending a balanced diet as the natural and safer way to obtain beauty nutrients. High doses of biotin in supplements can lead to potential health risks and false test results.
• Kraft Heinz’s Maxwell House is launching instant iced lattes with foam, its first new product in nearly a decade.
• UPS and the Teamsters said they reached a tentative deal on a new contract.
• AMC Entertainment is dropping its new tiered pricing system that provided moviegoers multiple seating options to meet their viewing preferences.

Happy Tuesday & Happy National Hot Fudge Sundae Day! Did you know that this dessert has been served since 1906? What better day than today to feast on this tasty ice cream dessert that combines hot and cold with a cherry on top? 🍨

In This Issue: Another Trip Around the Sun | Cisco ASA5506 Power Supply | Why Are Redundant Power Supplies Important | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Another Trip Around the Sun

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far! I’m coming to you a little older and (hopefully) a little wiser as my birthday was over the weekend! I’ve definitely reached that point in life where birthdays are far less exciting and even serve as stark reminders of how fast time goes by. They don’t elicit quite the same feeling of a “fresh start” as New Year’s does, but they’re still a great time to reflect on the previous year and maybe even set goals for the next.

As I look back on my last trip around the sun, I find myself with something of a mixed bag of emotions. It was an emotional roller coaster of a year with some serious “lows,” but it was also a year of many blessings and immense personal growth. I’ve learned a lot about myself, human nature, and what’s truly important in life over the past year. At CK one of our core values is, “make it about relationship”. I love that because, as I’ve learned more so than ever, life is truly about relationships. One of the things I’m most thankful for is the deep, lifelong friendships that I’ve been blessed with. Can’t imagine walking through the past year without them!

In this next year of life, I hope to continue down the path of personal growth and cultivating relationships, while also taking a bit better care of myself physically and getting back to chasing some personal goals!

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

We get it… external power supplies can sometimes go missing during migrations or moves. Power supplies are often overlooked and forgotten. If you need a spare power supply for your ASA5506-X firewall, this 100% compatible power supply will fit the bill. This Cisco-compatible ASA5506-X power supply is completely compatible with the ASA5506-X firewalls including the ASA5506-K9. Tested and built to Cisco’s exact specifications, this power supply is nearly identical to the original at a fraction of the cost.

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Learning Center Article – Why Are Redundant Power Supplies Important

When you have to maintain a network, power is important. Obviously, every device needs a source of power, but when you get into more complicated networks where downtime can be extremely expensive and infrastructure costs also run high, power becomes a central part of your planning and strategy.

You’ll think about where to run power lines, how much power is needed in each segment of the network, and a whole lot more. Among those concerns is redundancy. How do you keep your network online if a piece of equipment loses power? One answer is with a redundant power supply.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Warner Bros.′ “Barbie” tallied around $155 million during its first three days in theaters, the highest opening of 2023. Universal’s “Oppenheimer” snared $82.4 million during its debut. Analysts expect this weekend to be the highest-grossing weekend of the year at the domestic box office.
• Vertical farming company Bowery is expanding distribution of its salad kits from 50 Whole Foods locations to 150 of the Amazon-owned grocery stores in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.
• The Chinese government has removed Qin Gang from the post of foreign minister and replaced him with his predecessor, Wang Yi.
• TikTok launched its music streaming service this month in Indonesia and Brazil — its second and third-largest markets. It is also testing TikTok Music in Australia, Mexico and Singapore.

Happy Monday! We’re praying for you this week. That you will have intentional conversations, achieve your goals, and end the week with a complete to-do list. If we can be praying for anything specific, please reach out!

In This Issue: Decluttering your Desk | Yealink EHS36 Wireless Headset Adapter | What Is a Rack Unit (RU)? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Decluttering your Desk

Happy Monday!

This week I took time aside to focus on something that I’ve often neglected which is to declutter and organize my home office desk. I even purchased a couple of monitor mounts to free up some space on my desk and strangely I’ve felt more focused and less stressed after the fact. There’s actually some science behind this. Apparently, our “physical environments can significantly influence our cognition, emotions, and behavior, affecting our decision-making and relationship with others”. So having a cluttered and messy desk can negatively impact those things.

I’ve heard it said that the state of your bedroom reflects the state of your mind. I think the state of your desk reflects the state of your work. I encourage you to take time this week to declutter and to organize your desk. Doing this little thing has helped me and I think it’ll help you too! I hope you have a great day and a productive week!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The new advanced Yealink Headset Adapter EHS36 guarantees optimum efficiency in reception areas, call centers, and offices. It is approved for use with wireless models made by major manufacturers, including Jabra, Plantronics, and Sennheiser. With its ‘plug-and-play’ feature, it enables you to seamlessly answer and hang up calls remotely.

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Learning Center Article – What Is a Rack Unit (RU)?

When you’re building up networking or server equipment, it’s common to mount everything on racks. The racks seem like they have the same sizing and hole placements, and that’s because these things are actually standardized across industries.

What is a Rack Unit? Where does it come from? You’ll see detailed answers below.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Twitter has officially traded its iconic blue bird logo for a black-and-white “X,” marking the latest change to the social media platform since Elon Musk purchased it last year.
• Seven top artificial intelligence companies, including Google, Microsoft and OpenAI, will convene at the White House for a meeting. They’re pledging to create ways for consumers to identify AI-generated materials and test their tools for security before public release.
• ESPN has held early talks about strategic partnerships with the NBA, NFL and MLB that could include the leagues taking an equity stake in the business.
• Sanofi expects its infant RSV shot Beyfortus to launch before respiratory virus season this fall.