CablesAndKits Blog

Cheers to Friday, the gateway to the weekend! We hope you find some time to soak up the sunshine, explore a new place, or simply unwind with your favorite activities. Wishing you a joyful Friday and a wonderful weekend!

In This Issue: No-Code Applications | Cisco Meraki MX68 Security Appliance | Fast Ethernet Switches vs Gigabit Switches | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – No-Code Applications

Happy Friday, folks! I was scanning technology news topics and ran across a fascinating article on Spiceworks, The Low-down on Low-code: CIOs See A Paradigm Shift.

Here is a simple definition of low-code from Zapier, “”Low-code development requires some coding skills—but it’s a massive shift away from full-code development. With low-code programming, software engineers can build and change applications faster using APIs, drag-and-drop capabilities, code templates, process flows, and more. This makes it easier and quicker for businesses to deliver new processes and app functionalities than if they were to build with code alone.””

Here at CablesAndKits, we’ve experimented with a few no-code options. Our primary goals have been speed and accuracy. When specific actions happen on our site, we need that information to be instantly available in other systems for our team to quickly solve customer needs. Our current tool of choice to handle integrating multiple systems is Zapier, which makes connecting systems fast.

Have you experimented with or rolled out no-code or low-code applications in your organization?

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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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. The MX is 100% cloud-managed, so installation and remote management is truly zero touch, making it ideal for distributed branches, campuses, and data center locations.

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Learning Center Article – Fast Ethernet Switches vs Gigabit Switches

When it comes to networking, you have a lot of choices. Most devices are connected wirelessly when they can be, but there are still plenty of occasions where it makes sense to run Ethernet cables.

You have some level of freedom in how you design Ethernet networks, and a lot of it boils down to the switches you select. In general, you can choose between fast Ethernet and Gigabit switches. Which is right for you? Let’s really explore the potential answers to that question.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Representatives of the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball have questioned the logic of taking a minority stake in ESPN if Disney’s goal is to replace cash payments for league rights with equity, sources said.
  Shares of Canadian telecommunications satellite operator Telesat surged on Friday after the company announced announced it would swap suppliers for its planned Lightspeed global internet network.
• Broadcast station owners including Scripps, Nexstar, Sinclair and Gray are interested in obtaining rights to local NBA, NHL and MLB games, according to people familiar with the matter.
• A Tesla Model X totaled in the U.S. late last year suddenly came back online and started sending notifications to the phone of its former owner, CNBC Executive Editor Jay Yarow, months later.
• Starling, which is backed by Goldman Sachs, is in talks with an Asian bank about launching its Engine banking-as-a-service platform in the Asia-Pacific market.

Happy Thursday & Happy National S’mores Day! S’mores are the most popular campfire treat. The real question through: Slow and steady toasting of the marshmallow or catch your marshmallow on fire?

In This Issue: Settling Down | Keystone Surface Mount Box | What Is SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Settling Down

Good Morning!

A few weeks ago, my fiancé and I made another move. Thankfully this time, we’re here to stay for a while! After a rollercoaster of a few years, we’ve finally found a place to truly call home.

The part I am looking forward to the most is making this place our own. I’m practically over the moon about diving into the world of interior design. I’ve spent hours glued to interior design videos and shows, trying to find as much inspiration as possible. I have been having a blast trying to get my color schemes together and sketching out the layouts for each room. My main goal is to have a balanced space that wraps us in comfort and good vibes.

I spent the last few weeks scouring the internet, thrift stores, and holding up traffic while slowly passing yard sales just to find the perfect pieces. As my search continues, I would love to hear from you. Do you have a favorite place to shop for home decor?

Joi

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Give your network a makeover. These attractive boxes will perfectly blend into your home or office decor, and can hold a multitude of jacks. Unloaded 1-Position Keystone Surface Mount Box, the easiest way to install a network outlet, is perfect for office cubicles or installations where the cable is run along a baseboard. Protects and hides your network connections, mounts with 2-sided tape or screws, unloaded single position keystone mount box.

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Learning Center Article – What Is SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)?

As a business operator, what is your greatest fear? For some, it might be losing clients or failing. For others, specific things come to mind. New regulatory oversight that makes your business model impossible, natural disasters, and even digital attacks all come to mind.

Today, you can learn about SASE as a solution to this problem and a way to protect your business while improving operational elements within your IT infrastructure.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• Subscriber losses continued over the last three months, with the company reporting 146.1 million Disney+ subscribers during the most recent quarter, a 7.4% decline.
  Disney is increasing the price of Disney+ and Hulu without commercials, but is leaving the price stable for the products with ads.
• Disney said Wednesday it is actively exploring methods to stop account sharing on its streaming services.
• Shares of Roblox fell Wednesday after the company reported second-quarter results that missed analysts’ expectations on top and bottom lines.
• Your Uber app can show you how your Uber score breaks down.

Happy Wednesday & Happy National Book Lovers Day! It’s a great day to find your favorite reading place, grab your favorite book, and read the day away. While you’re at it, share your favorite book titles. We’d love to give some of them a read! 📖

In This Issue: Welcome Baby Carter! | Keystone Jack Termination Fixture | Basics of GPU Servers | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Welcome Baby Carter!

Good morning and Happy Wednesday CK Family!

I am thrilled to share with you that I’ve officially welcomed my sweet bundle of joy into the world. Carter made his grand arrival last week weighing a solid 9lbs even.

Today he’s officially a week old and I’m not sure where the time has gone already! My husband and I have been enjoying all the sweet snuggles and coos that come with the newborn stage of life and feel so blessed to have a happy and healthy baby boy to enjoy life with.

It’s been such a fun experience sharing his name with our family and friends as we kept it a secret until his arrival. I look forward to sharing with you the meaning behind his name but for now, back to enjoy some snuggles and catch up on some sleep.

Have a wonderful week!

Ashley

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Product Spotlights & Updates

This premise wiring tool holds the wire in place and facilitates proper lacing when working with keystone jacks.

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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.

With so much depending on servers, it’s not surprising to see that they continually experience serious innovation. Today’s servers can run laps around those used even five years ago, and there are a few key reasons for that.
One of those reasons is the use of GPUs

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• A new issue highlighted by Moody’s may cast a pall over banks: They’ve been forced to pay customers more for deposits at a pace that outstrips growth in what they earn from loans.
  President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law one year ago, and semiconductor companies across the United States have promised to spend $231 billion on building chip manufacturing hubs on American soil.
• Penn Entertainment is partnering with Disney’s ESPN to rebrand and relaunch its sportsbook as ESPN Bet.
• Amazon has lost two executives key to the company’s drone delivery operations, CNBC has learned.
• Shares of Roblox fell Wednesday after the company reported second-quarter results that missed analysts’ expectations on top and bottom lines.

Happy Tuesday & Happy National Bowling Day! It’s the perfect day to grab your most fashionable bowling shoes, grease up your ball, call a few friends and head to the bowling alley! 🎳

In This Issue: Finding Relaxation in Cleaning | Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series | What Are Copper Transceivers? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Finding Relaxation in Cleaning

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was actually a fairly quiet, uneventful weekend which is kind of rare these days, but I enjoyed it! I tried to take advantage of the time by doing some deep cleaning around the house.

The older I get, the more I really value having a clean, organized home. Being in a messy environment makes me feel anxious and unsettled. I’m a big fan of the saying, “a place for everything, and everything in its place”.

Fortunately, I actually find cleaning to be a pretty relaxing activity. Putting on some music and spending a few hours cleaning doesn’t bother me a bit! Too bad I didn’t have this same mentality as a kid! It turns out that a lot of people actually like cleaning. According to a 2021 survey, 75% of millennials and 82% of Gen Z say they enjoy cleaning.

Here are some of the top reasons why people love cleaning according to a Real Simple article:

1. Affords a sense of accomplishment
2. Calms your mind
3. Offers a sense of control
4. Reduces stress
5. Can be a form of meditation
6. Boosts mood
7. Reflects who you are
8. Is a means of self care

I definitely agree with most of these! What about you!?

Rebecca

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Product Spotlights & Updates

The Cisco 3850 Series of switches is an industry-leading, enterprise-class series of access switches that offers superior performance, scalability, and reliability. The Catalyst 3850 Series is the first to feature a built-in wireless controller with up to 40 Gbps of capacity on 48-port models. Further, it supports up to 100 access points and 2, 000 wireless clients per switching entity (or stack). These switches are stackable up to 9 members and come equipped with Cisco’s popular StackPower technology.

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Learning Center Article – What Are Copper Transceivers?

In data centers and other high-speed networks, you often rely on fiber optics to supply enough bandwidth. Despite that, even the most advanced networks still benefit from enabling Ethernet devices. How do you reconcile the two?
In many cases, copper transceivers provide the answer.

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• The SoftBank group reported a net loss attributable to owners of the parent of 477.6 billion yen ($3.3 billion), well below a Refinitv analyst estimate anticipating a 75 billion yen profit.
  Palantir Technologies raised its annual revenue target on Monday as it sees an opportunity to commercialize AI, but not all analysts are convinced.
• Warner Bros. Discovery plans to simulcast live games on cable TV and Max streaming in October.
• Paramount Global reached an agreement to sell book publisher Simon & Schuster to private equity firm KKR for $1.62 billion.
• Boeing said Monday it aims to be ready to fly NASA astronauts with its Starliner capsule for the first time by March.

Happy Monday! We hope you had a restful & adventurous weekend. Cheers to a great week ahead! 🥂

In This Issue: The Dawn of New Tech? | Cat6 Ethernet Cable | What Are the Differences Between a Switch and a Bridge? | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – The Dawn of New Tech?

Happy Monday!

If you’ve been following science news you may have heard about LK-99 claims which is a development of a room-temperature superconductor. As of this writing, there’s still scientific debate on the findings, and whether or not they are replicable or a hoax, but what fascinates me more are the implications of the technology. I’ve read that room-temperature superconductors could enable all sorts of new technology, and that’s what interests me the most:

Super-efficient energy grids and renewable energy systems
Lower cost Superconducting Maglev Trains (high speed trains – that are faster than current trains)
Accessible and widespread quantum computers (that no longer need to be cooled to extreme temperatures)
Cheaper and more efficient MRI technology
More reliable data transmission and storage in Data Centers
Electric Propulsion systems for aircraft and spacecraft
Lighter and more efficient electric cars

I’m hoping that the results are verifiable and that this technology, LK-99, is real, and I’m excited to see what comes next. Even if not substantiated, it’s brought a lot of great publicity into the field, and I hope other scientists and companies explore room-temperature superconducting technology!

You can read more about it here.
I hope you have a sense of wonder this week and have a great day!

Cris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Why plan ahead when you can work on the fly with our 1000’ pull box, 550MHZ UTP of blue Ethernet cables. Our bulk Ethernet cables are specifically created for installers and administrators. With a pure copper construction, these high-quality cables are ideal for vertical runs across multiple floors or in conduit. Have the cables you need, when you need them with CablesAndKits.

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Learning Center Article – What Are the Differences Between a Switch and a Bridge?

Putting together a single, small network is relatively easy. Things really get complicated when you need to join multiple networks together. That’s where concepts like bridging come into play, and understanding the specific technology options available for this aspect of network design is essential to success.

To that end, you’ll find a simplified breakdown of bridges and switches below. It will help you see how devices can be leveraged to join networks and the trade-offs attached to those devices.”

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Today’s News to Start Your Day:

• A range of companies are pulling back on perks as they chase higher margins.
• Automation is expected to reduce certain jobs in the coming years.
• Apple’s decline Friday was its worst day so far in 2023, and its largest loss since Sept. 29 last year.
• Hua Hong is China’s second-largest chip foundry after Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s time to kick off those work shoes and slide into a relaxing weekend. Whether you’re planning adventures or simply enjoying some well-deserved rest, may your weekend be filled with laughter, joy, and cherished moments.

In This Issue: Free Return Shipping | CAT8 Ethernet Cable | Advantages of Multi-Gigabit Switches in Business | News to Start Your Day

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The CK Daily – Free Return Shipping

Happy Friday, folks! My wife & I recently visited the small town of Dahlonega, GA. It’s a neat town with some great places to eat. We also shopped in the small shops there. I remember walking into a store there (it might have been a consignment-style shop), and the store had signage all over the place saying “”no returns or exchanges.”” I immediately thought, I better know that I need something in here if I’m going to buy it.

That experience is rare for your brick & mortar stores now. However, when buying online, returns and exchanges are offered but most sites. What isn’t covered by most stores, though, is Free Return Shipping! Even Amazon now wants me to take my return back to a UPS Drop Off location or a Kohl’s.

Here at CablesAndKits, we know it can be challenging to project exactly what you need for a project. Or maybe you’re new to our list and still testing the waters. We get it (and we get IT). Just buy some extra cables or transceivers. We’ll give you a free return shipping label to send back the extra! 🚚

What stores have you purchased from that wowed you with their shipping or returns process?

Have a great weekend!

Chris

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Product Spotlights & Updates

Our S/FTP (Each pair Foil shielded / 4 Pair Braid Shield) Booted Category 8 (Cat8) Ethernet Patch Cables are the newest addition to the network cabling family and have hit the ground running ! With the ability for 40gb and 2GHz bandwidth transmission over 20 meters, these network data cables are a Data Center Manager’s dream to handle the speeds that their network and users need. These patch cables are backward compatible with both Cat6 and Cat5e, and all previous categories.

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Learning Center Article – Advantages of Multi-Gigabit Switches in Business

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:

• Electric truck maker Nikola said on Friday that its CEO, Michael Lohscheller, will step down effective immediately due to a “family health matter.”
• Electric vehicle startup Fisker on Friday reported a second-quarter loss that was narrower than expected.
• Travelers are increasingly opting for destinations abroad at the expense of dometic trips.
• Laptops and tablets are among a handful of electronics that will require a license to be imported into India, according to a government notice published Thursday.