CK Daily Updates

Happy Thursday! We hope your day is off to a good start. Just a little reminder that we’re always here for you—whether you need a hand, a product, or a bit of inspiration. Keep going—you’ve got this!

In This Issue: New Products are here! | Deal of the Day | PDU Metal Case Power Cord | Bidirectional or BiDi Transcievers | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – New Products are here!

Good Morning & Happy Thursday! The weekend is almost here, and I hope you’ve got something fun planned! I’m heading out of town today, but before I go, I wanted to share something exciting happening here at CablesAndKits!

Our Product Team has been growing, and we’re focused on expanding our selection to create an even better shopping experience for you. We’ve just kicked off a wave of new product additions—and this is only the beginning!

To make it easier to find the latest items, we’ve added a New Products category on our website. You can check it out here! Be sure to browse what’s available now and keep checking back—we’ll be adding more soon!

We’d love to hear from you, too. If there are specific products you’d like to see on our site, let us know! Your feedback helps us grow in the right direction.

Thanks for being part of our journey!

Rebecca

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Deal of the Day

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This 12 outlet PDU is the perfect power solution for your data center, server room, or network wiring closet. Built with a heavy duty metal housing, this PDU features 12 total outlets made up of 2 front outlets and 10 rear outlets giving you the ultimate in powering flexibility. It also was built to fit into a standard 19″ rack making it a convenient option to add to your existing rack.

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Learning Center Article – Bidirectional or BiDi Transcievers Explained

Fiber optics are great for achieving extremely fast networks. They’re also essential for very long networking connections that extend multiple kilometers in total distance. If the latter is important for your operation, then SFP is likely the fiber optic connection that you will need. Traditionally, SFP is a single-mode fiber, meaning that signals can only travel in one direction at a time. While the systems can still efficiently communicate, the ability to send signals in both directions would speed up communications and improve efficiency.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Gemini can now turn your Google Docs into podcasts. 
• T-Mobile is increasing its Regulatory Programs & Telco Recovery Fee for each voice and mobile internet line starting April 23. For voice lines, the fee is revised to $3.99 per month, up by $0.50 from the previous $3.49; for data-only plans, it will be $1.60 per month, up from $1.40. T-Mobile has been notifying customers via SMS.
• Atmospheric rivers are storms akin to rivers in the sky that dump massive amounts of rain and can cause flooding, trigger mudslides and result in loss of life and enormous property damage.
• The iconic snack duo is back—Mountain Dew and Doritos are reuniting with fan-favorite flavors that have snack lovers buzzing! Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus hits shelves nationwide on April 21, followed by the return of Doritos Guacamole on April 28. Social media is already lighting up with excitement, making this flavor comeback one of the most anticipated of the year.

Halfway there! National Unicorn Day reminds us to embrace a little magic and creativity in our day. What’s something great you’ve accomplished so far this week?

In This Issue: Making Memories | Deal of the Day | RJ11/RJ12 Keystone Jack | OM3 vs OM4 | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Making Memories

Happy Wednesday!

I hope everyone is having a great week. This week has been a whirlwind! For the next two weeks, we’ll be down visiting my parents in the Florida Keys. It’s a beautiful place, but this trip comes with a lot of emotion.

We’re here to hang out and take care of my grandmother while my parents go on a trip. It’s exciting because I’m grateful for the chance to spend some time with her, but it’s also bittersweet—she suffers from dementia, which is hard. Ever since my grandfather passed a few years ago, she has regressed rather quickly. Honestly, since they live so far away, it’s always a little nerve-wracking to show up and worry that she might not remember who I am. But I try to remind myself that it’s not her fault and never intentional.

Anyway, like I said, I’m really looking forward to spending time with her. It’s time I’ll never forget, and I’m thankful to have the flexibility to be here. I look forward to sharing some of the sweet memories we get to make over the next week.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Ashley

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Deal of the Day

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This UL-listed RJ11/RJ12 Keystone Jack is designed for reliable voice and low-speed data applications. Featuring a 6×6 termination layout, it is compatible with Keystone modular wall plates and patch panels. Requires a punch-down tool for installation. White color for a clean, professional finish.

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Learning Center Article – OM3 vs OM4: a Detailed Comparison

When building or maintaining a fiber optic network, you will constantly face hardware decisions. Those decisions require constant research and relearning to stay up to date with modern choices, and that effort extends to cable options as much as switches or any other device in the network.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Colossal Biosciences, the company behind so-called “de-extinction tech,” made headlines after appearing on the cover of Time magazine having claimed to have brought back dire wolves, a species that died out over 10 millennia ago. 
• Google launched Gemini 2.5 Pro, their smartest AI model, initially exclusive to Gemini Advanced subscribers, but surprised users by releasing a free experimental version.
• Wendy’s recently announced at its Investor Day that Frosty Swirls and Frosty Fusions will be hitting menus nationwide this spring.
• Pizza Hut just put its own spin on ‘caviar’ with these pepperoni-flavored pearls.

Happy Tuesday! It’s National Empanada Day! A little midweek treat goes a long way. What’s your go-to comfort food to get you through the workweek?

In This Issue: Spring Break in Bloom | Deal of the Day | Keystone Snap In Module | PC vs UPC vs APC | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Spring Break in Bloom

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone’s having a great week so far!

I know it’s Spring Break for a lot of people which definitely brings a more relaxed vibe to the week.

While I won’t be hitting the beach myself, I am taking a couple of days off at the end of the week to escape to the mountains of Tennessee! I’ll be staying near the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area—which means plenty of options for fun and adventure.

Of course, we’ll be spending some time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and I’m hoping to catch it as it starts to come alive for spring! The Smokies are home to over 1,500 species of flowering plants, so I’m crossing my fingers for a beautiful show of wildflowers and fresh greenery as the forest wakes up for the season.

As for the rest of the trip, we’re still piecing together our plans. It’s been years since I visited the area, so if you’re a frequent traveler to the Smokies, I’d love to hear your favorite spots—send me your “must-do” list!

Rebecca

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Deal of the Day

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This UL-listed Keystone Snap-In F-Type Module is perfect for Video/CATV applications, featuring a female-to-female F connector for seamless connections. Designed for compatibility with Keystone modular patch panels and wall plates, it ensures a secure and professional installation. Ivory color for a clean, finished look.

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Learning Center Article – How to Choose the Right Fiber Connector: PC vs UPC vs APC

One common philosophy is to focus on physical contact between the fibers. Doing so is difficult, as at least some air gap tends to exist inside the connector. To combat that and the signal disruption that comes with air gaps, three types of physical contact connectors are used in a wide range of systems. These are PC, UPC, and APC connectors.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Google is adding multimodal capabilities to its search-centric AI Mode chatbot that enable it to “see” and answer questions about images, as it expands access to AI Mode to “millions more” users. 
• Harry Potter fans in Chicago are in for a magical treat as a brand-new Harry Potter Shop opens this Thursday. Spanning 11,000 square feet, the immersive store features themed areas, interactive displays, personalized merchandise, and the largest Butterbeer Bar in the U.S., offering fans a chance to step into the Wizarding World and enjoy enchanting experiences inspired by the beloved series.
• A growing number of people are using virtual reality to enhance their home workouts.
• Cinnabon is trying to avoid extinction with the help of TikTok and ice cream.

A new week is here! Just like a cold drink after a long day, a fresh start can be refreshing. Let’s tackle the week ahead—cheers to new opportunities!

In This Issue: One Missing Cat, One Epic Week | Deal of the Day | HDMI Keystone Jack | Polarity for MPO Cables | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – One Missing Cat, One Epic Week

Happy Monday!

What a rough weekend we’ve had! On Saturday one of our cats decided to go out on an adventure and hasn’t been back since! We’ve been searching for him, but unfortunately weren’t able to find him. To make the search even more challenging, we had some storms roll in and our cat is not a fan of storms or thunder. We’re praying that he found shelter or someone found him and he’s safe. One of my coworkers lost her cat and a year later he returned! I hope it doesn’t take that long, but I do hope my cat returns!

Other than that, it’s Spring Break week! We opted not to go out on a trip this year as we are going to be attending Atlanta Pokémon Regionals this weekend! We have some other fun things planned for the kids this week and hopefully it’ll cheer them up from missing our cat. I’ll write more about our own adventures next week!

I hope you have a great day and a wonderful week!

Cris

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Deal of the Day

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This HDMI keystone coupler allows you to easily add an HDMI jack to any standard keystone wall plate, surface mount box or patch panel. The snap-in HDMI jack is simple to install and provides you with a robust female to female in-line HDMI coupler.

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Learning Center Article – Polarity for MPO Cables

High-end fiber optics are important to modern networking, but they’re a lot more complicated than some of their older counterparts. If you need the power of fiber, you might be looking into MPO systems. They can hit some of the highest speeds on the market today, but utilizing them requires knowledge. One key piece of knowledge that can help with MPO systems is polarity.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Starting in May, United Airlines will roll out Starlink Wi-Fi service on its regional jets, promising a smoother and more connected experience for travelers—especially on longer flights. The high-speed service will be free for members of United’s MileagePlus frequent-flyer program. 
• Fanatical’s latest Build Your Own Adventure Bundle lets PC gamers score over $450 worth of Steam games for under $30. Available until April 20, this customizable deal allows buyers to mix and match titles, with individual game prices dropping as you add more to your bundle.
• Amazon Kindle gets a free feature upgrade borrowed from TV.
• Krispy Kreme is celebrating Easter with the return of its fan-favorite Strawberry Iced Donut with Sprinkles and the debut of a festive new trio called the “Happy Easter Collection.” The returning donut features the classic Original Glazed base dipped in strawberry icing and topped with pastel sprinkles. New additions include treats like the Bunny Basket Donut, made with chocolate icing, chocolate-flavored buttercream, and a cute confectionery bunny on top—available for a limited time this spring.

Another week down! It’s National Vitamin C Day, so here’s your friendly reminder to refresh, recharge, and fuel up for the weekend. What’s one thing you’re proud of accomplishing?

In This Issue: The Rise of AI | Deal of the Day | Kendall Howard Universal Wire Minder | “S-Class” Transceivers vs Non “S-Class” Transceivers | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – The Rise of AI

Happy Friday, everyone!

I hope you’re having a great week! Early this week I attended a marketing conference in San Diego that was very fruitful. There were a TON of sessions to choose from, but an interesting topic that took the lead this year was all things AI. What are your thoughts on AI?

Several of the presenters talked about ways to use AI to enhance what we’re doing in our day to day. There were lots of discussions that also took place about the concern of “Is AI going to replace me?” and generally the answer was no! Now, it might replace some of the aspects of your job that you do that are tedious and AI can do it faster, but there are human aspects that jobs will always need.

Here was something interesting I learned: It took 7 YEARS for most people in the US to begin using social media after it came out (Facebook, Instagram, etc.). However, it took less than 2 years for a majority of US adults to begin using it. AND just in 2 years, 24% of people have reporting using it at work (this number is likely WAY higher now). Isn’t this interesting? AI is certainly the buzz as of late and will only become more powerful to us as a tool.

Here are a few things about AI that I learned and/or things you can implement:

1. Run experiments with AI. You never know what AI can help you with unless you try and run various experiments.
2. What can we take from the past and use in the future? Are there things you’ve done daily/weekly that we can ask AI to help us with so that we can spend more time focusing on the bigger areas of our job/life?
3. Using AI should allow us to be able to spend 50% of our time being creative and the other 50% analytical and generally maintenance focused. This means we’re opening the door more often for us to start/think/bring to the table new things!

I could go on and on about this topic. It’s interesting to me! However, I do think there’s also a bigger topic of talking about ethic when it comes to AI that we didn’t hit on much at the conference but I certainly read/hear things about often.

What are your thoughts on AI? Do you use it in your personal life and/or at work? Does it help you to be more effective?

Hope you have a great weekend!

Ashley

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Deal of the Day

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Kendall Howard rack mounted Universal Wire Minder is the perfect add-on to any racking system. This adaptive design allows it to be mounted in eight different positions based on what best fits your racking needs. This Wire Minder has a generous 1.5″ by 3″ clearance to manage even the largest cables and is made from .090 steel to assure strength and durability. Suitable for routing CAT5, Media, Printer, USB, Telephony, Power, and virtually any other cable.

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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.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• As Microsoft celebrates its 50th anniversary, the company is introducing a new way for Xbox Series X|S console owners to join in the celebration, rolling out a new Xbox Dynamic background. The background features numerous characters from Xbox-owned properties, such as Halo’s Master Chief, Doom’s Slayer, Gears of War’s Marcus Fenix, Diablo’s Lilith, Psychonauts’ Raz, and many others.
• Lemon8, a lifestyle app owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, is taking off. It’s recently emerged as one of the leading alternatives as TikTok Notes gets ready to fade into the sunset. Launched in Japan in 2020, Lemon8 offers a variety of features that enhance the user experience, making it a compelling choice for those seeking engaging content sharing methods. As TikTok fumbles, it’s pushing Lemon8 as the alternative for creators who loved TikTok Notes.
• Rounds of thunderstorms further inundated communities across the central U.S. on Friday as hard-hit areas were still reeling from an outbreak of severe weather and tornadoes that ravaged neighborhoods and killed at least seven people.
• Wendy’s is bringing superhero fun to its meals with a collection of 18 DC figurines.

Happy Thursday! We hope you’re having a great week. The weekend is just around the corner, do you have any fun plans you’re looking forward to?

In This Issue: Dancing the weekend away! | Deal of the Day | Wall Mount Cabinet with Solid Door | Top 5 Reasons Why Your Network Needs A Firewall | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Dancing the weekend away!

Hey everyone!

Last week I talked about being excited about UGA’s Dance Marathon, which was one for the books! From start to finish, it was a rewarding, high-energy, and emotional experience. I got to the event at 8 AM Saturday to help set up, and from then on, it was nonstop excitement. There were games, dancing, family stories, and many moments that reminded me why I love being in this organization.

One of my favorite parts of the day was the first (of two) silent disco! I love being able to ‘pick your adventure’ and dance with everyone, even if we are on different beats. There were so many fun things that we did, I can’t even list them all.

But it ended like it always does, with our total reveal! After months of hard work, we raised $1.2 million for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta! It was nearly $200,000 more than last year and surreal to know that we are making a real impact on so many kids and their families.

Finally, after a long but exciting 18+ hours, I stayed to help clean up. I left at 2 AM on Sunday, exhausted but so fulfilled. I’m so grateful to be part of this organization and to stand with people who are passionate about making miracles happen. I’m counting down the days until we do it all again next year (after some sleep, of course)!

Rachel

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Deal of the Day

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The 12U LINIER Fixed Wall Mount Cabinet with a solid door is a wall-mounted equipment enclosure used for securely mounting your network equipment, servers and cabling. The cabinet features a rack depth of 22.5 inches with a space for 12 Rack units. The cage nut style rails allow an adjustment of 1 inch to fit in equipment of various depths.

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Learning Center Article – Top 5 Reasons Why Your Network Needs A Firewall

It takes a lot to truly secure a business network. If your business is notably successful, then this is doubly true. Nefarious people will want to infiltrate your tech in order to steal money or just wreak havoc. Stopping them isn’t easy, but the first step is to set up a firewall. In fact, there are five specific ways a firewall can help your business.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• T-Mobile is offering a $300 virtual Mastercard to new customers who switch to its home internet service starting April 3. Available for a limited time, the bonus applies to the Amplified ($60/month) and All-In ($70/month) plans, with perks like Hulu and Paramount+ (with ads) on the All-In tier. Plus, bundling with Go5G Plus or Magenta Max saves you $15/month. No contracts are required, but you must keep service for at least 60 days to receive the reward. 
• In the first few months of 2025, the average price of eggs in the United States reached $6 per dozen, double what they cost at the same point last year. The main reason behind the increase is the spread of the avian flu, which has led to the killing of about 170 million birds in the United States. Fewer hens mean fewer eggs on the market, driving prices up. And now there’s a new fear: For the first time ever, bird flu’s been found in cows.
• OpenAI’s smartest model could cost up to $30,000 per task according to estimates.
• Starbucks just introduced two new beverages for spring: the Starbucks Iced Energy and Frappuccino Lite lines.