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CK Daily – 05.12.2021

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In This Issue: Deals of the Week | Multi-Factor Authentication | News to Start Your Day

It’s hump day, which means we are halfway through the week! Anyone looking forward to their weekend plans? Keep pushing through this week – Friday will be here before you know it!

The CK Daily – Busy, Busy, Busy!

Happy Wednesday! 

Full disclosure, I am writing to you at 1 AM. It’s not that I have forgotten about you, it’s full transparency that life was BUSY for me today. Have you ever had a day where you begin to wonder where your day went? Today was that day, or yesterday rather. The Customer Solutions Team was super busy assisting many customers via phone, chat, and email and made our day extremely busy. I tend to enjoy days like this because it gives us a sense of accomplishment. We can “go home” knowing we have served the face off of each of our customers. 

After work, I made my mission to tidy up my home as I have neglected it over the weekend since it was my “weekend of rest,” as I celebrated Mother’s Day. Though it was tough to look away, I did not clean one single thing this past weekend. 

So here I am, in the wee hours of the morning praying that today will be as fulfilling as yesterday, and maybe I will get to serve your face off. 

Have a great day friends! 

Shanyce

Product Spotlights & Updates:

Have you had the chance to check out our Deals of the Week? We’ve given you a sneak peek these last few days, but don’t wait to check out the rest of them! Head over to our Deals of the Week page to check them out! 

This week, we’ve got incredible deals on: 

-OM3 Fiber

-CAT6 Ethernet Cable

-48 Port Cisco Nexus F2 Module

-Male to RCA Female Y-Cable

-Tilting Universal TV/Monitor Mount

Head on over and snag one of these amazing deals before it’s too late! Also, don’t forget that we’re still offering FREE shipping on orders over $250 and $4.99 Flat Rate Shipping on all other orders!

Website Security: Website Multi-Factor Authentication

You probably use multi-factor authentication (MFA) when logging into your banking app or when accessing your social media accounts from a different device. MFA is also very important for securing your website.

What is Multi-Factor Authentication?


MFA is a method that strengthens access security by requiring multiple factors to confirm a user’s identity. Often these factors will include something the user knows (such as a password or the answer to a security question) and something that they have access to (such as a verification code texted to a device or an authentication code from an app). Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a type of multi-factor authentication.

Why is Multi-Factor Authentication Important for Websites?


MFA provides an additional level of security for your website. It helps confirm that your website users are who they say they are, prevents unauthorized use or changes to your admin account and website, and protects against password brute-force attacks. The type of content management system (CMS) used by a website will dictate the best method for installing MFA for user accounts. For example, there are several MFA plug-ins that may be installed and configured for WordPress sites.

This post can be found on Tech+Wise Group’s page here. 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,395,031 active COVID cases, 26,558,138 have recovered and there have been 596,946 deaths. 
  • Fuel shortages have widened across the East Coast as consumers continue to panic buy amid the fallout from a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline last week by Russian ransomware group Darkside. The 5,500-mile pipeline system transports more than 100 million gallons of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and heating oil per day between the Gulf Coast and the New York metro area.
  • The U.S. government is planning for the potential need for Covid-19 vaccine booster shots. Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson have said they are developing booster shots or next-generation versions of their vaccines that will bolster protection.
  • YouTube is launching a fund to pay its most popular users on its Shorts product, which aims to compete with popular video app TikTok. The company’s new social network platform, which uses short-form videos, is garnering 6.5 billion daily views.
  • “Hamilton,” “Wicked” and “The Lion King,” three of Broadway’s cornerstones, are set to reopen on September 14th. “Aladdin,” “Six,” “Come From Away” and “Chicago” are also expected to restart in September while “Jagged Little Pill,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Ain’t Too Proud” have opening dates set in October.

CK Daily – 05.11.2021

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In This Issue: Tilting Universal TV Mount for 36″-65″ TV or Monitor | Computer Bugs | News to Start Your Day

On May 11th, National Twilight Zone Day features mysterious twists and turns highlighted with eerie background music and unexplainable occurrences. The television show The Twilight Zone was created, written, and narrated by Rod Serling. The episodes were wildly popular, stretched the imagination, and captivated viewers. Are you a big fan? 

The CK Daily – Celebrate Good Times…Come on!

Happy Tuesday! Is it just me or does it feel like the weekend flew by!? My weekend was packed full of celebrations which made it a lot of fun! We got to celebrate my niece’s first birthday on Saturday and I’m pretty sure there are few things in life that bring more joy than watching a baby enjoy the heck out of their smash cake! It took her a second to figure out what to do, but once she realized there was a whole cake in front of her she went for it! She was all about that icing and she wore it proudly! Needless to say, a bath was in order immediately after the cake smashing!

On Sunday we got to celebrate Mother’s Day by throwing a little dinner for my mom here at the house. The entire family was able to make it and we had lots of good food and fun! I think she really enjoyed it!

The celebrations even extended into this week as we got to celebrate my grandmother’s 85th birthday yesterday! We took her out to dinner and of course, there was cake! 85 is such a milestone and I honestly feel so blessed to have her and blessed that we were able to get together and celebrate this year! She makes 85 look good and I hope to be like her when I grow up! It seems like we missed out on so much last year, so it’s really awesome to be able to enjoy time with others and celebrate these awesome moments! 

Rebecca

Product Spotlights & Updates:

Clean up and open up your home, office space, or networking closet with a wall mount for your flat panel television or monitor. This flat panel wall mount bracket will not only increase the room on your desk or workspace, but it will also allow for a clean and modern look in your room or office.

The mounting bracket will fit a television or monitor from 36” to 65” in size. The tilt motion mount will allow you to tilt the screen down 15 degrees and up 5 degrees to keep a direct line of sight. The sleekness of this mount is very easy to see as it will only use 60mm of space from the wall to the TV or monitor. With its universal back brackets, it can be mounted to many makes and models while the solid steel construction will hold up to 132 pounds. To top it off, the flat panel wall mount is backed by CablesAndKits lifetime warranty!

What is a “Computer Bug,” and where did the term come from? – HowToGeek

You’ve probably heard it before: There’s a “bug” in the software, causing something to malfunction or misbehave. What exactly is a computer bug and where did the term come from? We’ll explain.

A Bug Is an Unintentional Error in Computer Software


A “computer bug” or “software bug” is a term for an unintentional programming mistake or defect in computer software or hardware. Bugs arise from human error in hardware designs or somewhere in the chain of software tools used to create computer applications, firmware, or operating systems.

A software bug is born when a programmer either makes a mistake while writing the software or writes code that works but has unintentional consequences that were not foreseen by the programmer. Removing bugs from software is called “debugging.”

In today’s software-driven world, bugs are serious business. Almost 20 years ago, the National Institute of Standards and Technology estimated that software bugs cost the U.S. economy almost $60 billion annually (about 0.6% of the GDP in 2002)—a number that has likely increased since then. While accurately quantifying the negative effects of bugs is difficult, it’s easy to imagine how malfunctioning software can affect productivity. It can even put lives at risk in the realm of transportation or endanger vital infrastructure like power plants.

Why Do We Call Them Bugs?


The term “bug” predates the invention of computers, and we don’t actually know who originally coined the term “bug” to refer to an engineering defect. In written records, historians have traced it back to Thomas Edison in the 1870s at the earliest.

Edison used the term in his personal notes and correspondence to mean a difficult problem that needed solving or an engineering defect that needed fixing. He even joked about the term being related to insects, writing in an 1878 letter:

“You were partly correct, I did find a ‘bug’ in my apparatus, but it was not in the telephone proper. It was of the genus ‘callbellum.’ The insect appears to find conditions for its existence in all call apparatus of Telephones.”

While some take Edison’s examples to mean that he coined the term “bug,” it’s possible that it originated from someone else earlier and that he merely popularized the term among his engineering friends and associates. The Oxford English Dictionary cites an 1889 example related to Edison that describes a bug as a metaphor for an insect crawling into a piece of equipment and making it malfunction, suggesting that a real bug doing just that might have originally inspired the term, similar to the term “fly in the ointment.”

Want to read more? You can find the rest of this post from HowToGeek here. 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,441,471 active COVID cases, 26,439,712 have recovered and there have been 595,812 deaths. 
  • The World Health Organization has reclassified the highly contagious triple-mutant Covid variant spreading in India as a “variant of concern” at the global level. 
  • 2021 has thrown up plenty of surprises already and the latest could be the most shocking: Tim Tebow could soon be back in the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars are planning to sign the former quarterback. However, the team wants the 33-year-old to try to make the roster as a tight end.
  • If you were hoping it’d get easier to snag a PlayStation 5, Sony’s got some bad news for you. In a call with analysts, Sony warned that they likely won’t be able to meet PS5 demand and restock stores through 2022.
  • Ford’s upcoming all-electric F-150 pickup truck will be called Lightning. The name was used by the automaker for street performance trucks in the 1990s and early 2000s. The F-150 Lightning is set to be unveiled on May 19th. 

CK Daily – 05.10.2021

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In This Issue: 10 Gigabit Multimode Duplex 50/125 Fiber Patch Cable | 5 Ways to Encourage Others | News to Start Your Day

Happy Monday! Today is a day many parents look forward to, but children dread. It’s National Clean Up Your Room Day! Have you been looking for a boost to begin spring cleaning? Well, today is the day! Happy cleaning!

The CK Daily – A Mother’s Day Reflection

Happy Monday Morning, Y’all!

I’m not sure that one day is enough to explicitly celebrate Moms. They deserve so much more than just a single day. One of the things I noticed this year, more than others, is the outpouring of love for the moms who have lost children due to miscarriage or the moms-to-be who are struggling with infertility. I have to say, I love the consciousness we show those women who don’t speak up much about their private and personal struggles and how difficult those situations must be. 

We owe so much of this life’s success to the person who brought us into this world. Whether they are here on this Earth or waiting for us in the Kingdom of Heaven, thank you to Moms, Grandmas, Aunts, and Mother-like figures who may not be mom by blood. Thanks for being there through the ups and downs, unwavering support, and unconditional love. 

Thanks for tuning in and have a great week,

Corey

Product Spotlights & Updates:

Today’s product spotlight is the 10 Gigabit Multimode Duplex 50/125 Fiber Patch Cable With LC to LC Connectors. Fiber optic cabling is the medium of choice for longer distances and challenging cabling runs. These cables are thinner than copper patch cords and immune to EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) making them perfect for riser runs and uplink cables.

There are two basic types of fiber cabling, single-mode and multi-mode. The cables listed here are multi-mode, but a special version that is laser optimized. These cables are manufactured using a process that eliminates manufacturing anomalies and conditions which cause the glass cores to be prone to modal dispersion when the transmission distance is great. Modal dispersion is the optical equivalent to EMI and causes confusion at the receiving end. The binary 1’s and 0’s cannot be differentiated.

Inside these cables, you will find three basic layers. Starting from the inside, you have the core which is surrounded by the cladding. Both are protected with the jacket on the outside. Multi-mode cables have a thicker “core size”. The core size is simply the thickness of the optical fiber inside the cladding. The cladding is material that surrounds that core which basically serves as the boundary for the signal, keeping the light refined to the core and not allowing it to escape. The thicker the core size, the more refraction the signal exhibits, the more signal degradation that occurs and the shorter the distance an intelligible signal can transmit. For example, these cables are 50/125. 50 is the diameter of the core, and 125 is the diameter of the cladding, both in micrometers.

Lastly, the jacket is the part of the cable you see. This layer protects the cable and provides easy identification based on its color. TIA-598C recommends aqua for OM3 multi-mode.

5 Ways to Encourage Others:

1. Don’t put it off – When someone comes to mind simply consider how you might encourage them. Are they going through a personal struggle? Did you see something in their life recently that encouraged you? Do you simply feel like you need to pray for them? Don’t delay, rationalize or tell yourself you will do it later. Act on your intention – NOW! Far too often we hesitate in the moment and then never do what we intended. We simply miss the blessing of being an encouragement.

2. Keep it simple – When you decide to bless someone with your words it doesn’t have to complicated. Simply tell them you are praying for them, or actually stop and ask if you can pray right then. Jot a simple note on the back of a receipt and leave it on their car window. Send a short text thanking them for their friendship. Even the simplest gestures, can often be a difference-maker in someone’s life.

3. Use the resources at hand – A letter in the mail can be such a special thing to receive but sometimes you don’t have that handy. Don’t let that hinder you from blessing someone with an encouraging note. Thankfully technology and social media make it possible to reach out to someone in the moment. When you think of a friend send him or her a quick Facebook message or a text sharing your thoughts. Maybe you don’t have any stamps but sending an email asking an old friend how he is doing is free and fast.

4. Don’t be shy – We often second guess ourselves when we have an impulse to do something like stop someone and ask if you can pray for them, or telling a mom in the store what a good job you see her doing. Don’t miss the opportunity to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit to encourage someone. They may desperately need to hear a positive word from another person and by simply stepping out and saying, “Good job” you may be changing the course of their day completely.

5. Remember – Think back over your life and remember the times others have blessed you with encouragement. Maybe it was a coach giving you positive feedback, or an aunt that always sent letters at just the right time, or a friend in college that just had a knack for leaving notes and little gifts that showed they cared. We can be that for others if we simply take a moment and look up from our phones and get our eyes off of ourselves to look around us and be a blessing.

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” – Proverbs 11:25

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,441,471 active COVID cases, 26,439,712 have recovered and there have been 595,812 deaths. 
  • Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, rose nearly 7% over the last 24 hours to a record high of $4,141.99 
  • The rate of average daily new Covid cases in the U.S. fell to below 41,000 over the weekend, down 30% from two weeks ago and the lowest level since September. CDC data shows that the country is averaging 2 million vaccinations per day over the past week, down from the peak level of 3.4 million daily doses. 
  • In September, Amazon started requiring merchants on its U.S. marketplace to publicly disclose their business name and address. With this, Amazon has begun making third-party sellers a postcard to verify their business address in hopes to week out counterfeiters and other bad actors. 
  • Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit’s victory will be invalidated if it is upheld that the champion horse failed a drug test. Medina Spirit’s trainer Bob Baffert will be immediately suspended from entering any horses in races at Churchill Downs track. 

CK Daily – 05.07.2021

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In This Issue: OM3 Fiber Cables…They just work! | Friday Encouragement | News to Start Your Day

The CK Daily – Anniversary

Happy Friday! This week has been exciting, both professionally and personally! On a personal level, my wife & I celebrated our 15th anniversary! She has put up with me for 15 whole years! Haha

On a more serious note, I’m thankful for her and love getting to do life with her. As we hit this significant milestone, I’ve reflected on how we got here. I believe one of the key lessons for me is to be humble. And some days it’s way easier than others to do! As Philippians 2:3 says, “…in humility, count others more significant than yourselves.”

As you reflect on your week, how have you grown this week? 

Chris

Product Spotlights & Updates:

Happy Friday! Today we’re spotlighting the OM3 LC-LC 10GB Multimode Duplex Fiber Patch Cable. There’s really not much for us to say about our fiber patch cables. They are reliable, come backed by our lifetime warranty, and they just work. So if you need a 10-gigabit fiber patch cable (OM3) that’s laser-optimized pick one up today. 

But don’t just take our word for it! We’ve had 26 positive 5-star reviews on this product line. Let’s share some of them!

Matthew C. says “The OM3 came well packaged. The connection is good and tight. Was pulled through 100′ of innerduct with no issues. Overall I am very pleased.”

pbwuzhere2 writes “Pricing is the best I have seen compared to other vendors. Also, the quality is always maintained. Delivery times are very predictable too.”

Yoarick C. let us know “Run these cables from my basement 24 port switch to the second Floor 16 port switch on my home to create an aggregate port for the switches. Works perfectly!”

 
DPillow commented “I am what is called “A Satisfied Customer”. Whenever I need something of high quality and great price I look to Cables & Kits. They have always provided top-notch service and this product proves that.”

See all of the reviews as well as additional technical specs on our OM3 on our product page!

The Curse of the Too’s – The Encouragement Project

Today’s Friday encouragement is from The Encouragement Project Blog.

“I can’t do that.”  “I’m (fill in the blank)____________- too young, too old, too inexperienced, too experienced, too thin, too fat, too shy, too, too, too.”


The too’s hold us back in such a convenient way. They keep us from finding out what we are really made of. They give us the easiest, most convenient excuse for not doing something when the real reason may be the fear that we don’t know how to do it. It’s easier to call fear by another name since no one likes to think of themselves as cowards.

I realized this when I started examining the things that ignited fear in me – the kind that makes you turn back from something. I realized not knowing how to do something drives me crazy. It doesn’t matter whether you know you are competent, smart, gregarious, talented. Fear is always lurking around the edges of the things we haven’t tried. I realized that I have avoided many things because I not only didn’t know how to handle them but wasn’t even willing to give myself a chance to try. I realized that I was making possible failure a terminal event that I would avoid at all costs. The resistance to moving forward felt insurmountable.

What did I avoid? Hard conversations, possible opportunities that were clothed as a challenge, possible judgment from others, chances to create a class, a piece of artwork- anything that required me to be a bit uncomfortable because I had never tried it before. This is the place that I visit way too often. It’s the place where I need to use encouragement that shows up as a swift kick rather than gentle words. It’s when we put on the voice of an old coach, a loved teacher, even a hero you admire. We can conjure up our encourages at will. Did you know that?

I didn’t.

David Bowie developed an alter ego called Ziggy Stardust to help him step into the extraordinary self he knew was there. Ziggy helped him do the things that felt uncomfortable doing but as Ziggy, he could. Later, he developed many others who had the characteristics that he knew he needed to borrow when he was afraid. When he needed them, he stepped inside their personas and his fear evaporated. He used this technique to become the best version of himself. He used a variety to explore all the different aspects of what that meant.

It’s an idea that has been used by many but perhaps not in terms of as a tool of encouragement. Beyonce created a character she named Sasha Fierce. Sasha helped her mover from singing in a gospel choir to the big stages she has graced.

What they were willing to do was unlock their own resistance traps that appear as statements in our heads like: not good enough, not talented enough, not experienced enough which are the same versions as too young, too old, too experienced, too little experience.

Encouragement comes in all kinds of forms. 

Creating your own Ziggy Stardust might open up some opportunities of which you never dreamed!

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,669,775 active COVID cases, 26,105,411 have recovered and there have been 594,006 deaths. 
  • Pfizer and BioNTech have started the regulatory process of seeking full approval for their Covid-19 vaccine for use in people 16 and older in the U.S. 
  • Twitter introduced Tip Jar, a new feature that makes it easy for users to send money to their favorite creators. Users will be able to connect their Twitter accounts with Tip Jar to their accounts on CashApp, PayPal, Venmo, and more!
  • Amazon’s massive “other” business category, which includes ad revenue, surged a whopping 77% in the first quarter to $6.9 billion in revenue. Apple’s change is expected to impact the ability of advertisers to target ads the way they have been since people likely won’t opt into letting apps track them. But Amazon has a strong first-party relationship with consumers, which means it can provide marketers with richer data than they might be able to get on other platforms when they can use less third-party data.
  • Peloton had planned to launch a less expensive version of their treadmill on May 27th. They have delayed this due to its recent recall in order to add the new safety features before the machines are put back on the market. 

CK Daily – 05.06.2021

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In This Issue: The 3850 Switch – Aurgh! Arugh! Arugh! | #TechTips | News to Start Your Day

Today is National Nurses Day and if there is someone to give a pat on the back or a big high-five to, it’s these people! What a year it has been for each of them! Thank you nurses for your commitment, dedication, and hard work! 

The CK Daily – Getting Disconnected…not on purpose

Happy Thursday!

You ever had one of those weeks where you have to stop and think, “What day is it again?” I have seriously been off by one day all week. Yesterday was a blur to me…what could go wrong did go wrong but in the most random way.

I woke up yesterday morning earlier than normal and jumped right into work. My dog just looked at me with that look of “this is way too early to be up” look. So about 2 hours into my day and after two large cups of coffee (thank goodness!), my internet goes down. The TV was still working, but the internet was down. Then the internet came back up and the cable tv went down. I should have known at this point that it was not going to be a normal day. Then they both went down. Sigh…it has begun…

After about an hour of working off of the hotspot on my phone, they both came back up. Yes! My excitement was short-lived after about 30 mins…EVERYTHING went down. Yep, the power went out. Mind you, we had terrible storms Monday and Tuesday and not even a blip of power or internet going down. Then the sun starts coming out and the problems begin. I continued to work off of the hotspot on my phone and off my laptop battery as long as I possibly could. My phone battery got down to 15% and that was it. I had to disconnect. Normally I would have gone into the office to work but my “smart” garage was on lockdown mode. The hits just kept coming…

The good news…after 5 hours of being without power it was finally restored. I felt like I was connected to the world again! It is amazing the feeling we have these days in the world of being remote when we get disconnected from being able to work, communicate, or interact with the world around us. It is one thing to purposely disconnect and a whole other ball game when we need to connect and can’t. It was nice to be able to step back from distractions and work on strategy and whiteboarding ideas that would have otherwise, even if wasn’t planned. (Kinda like what Corey talked about in Monday’s email and putting the phone away.)

Hoping today is a smoother day and I stay connected all day to knock out some of the ideas I came up with yesterday. Hope your Thursday is a productive one as well!

We’ve almost made it to Friday!

Jason

Product Spotlights & Updates:

Today’s product spotlight brings you to a beast of a switch, the WS-C3850-48F-S. What makes this switch a beast of a switch? Let me give you the highlights because it’s a long list!

First of all this Switch comes with 48 Gigabit ports with PoE and PoE+ capability up to 800 watts. Looking to connect some access points and worried about getting a wireless access controller? Worry not, because this switch comes with a built-in wireless controller with up to 40 Gbps of capacity. The switch also comes with some flexibility with a slot for an optional network module (that supports either 1G or 10GB capabilities), and it can be stacked via StackWise-480 technology, and the StackPower technology allows you to share power within a stack. With 4 GB of RAM, 2GB of Flash as well as redundant fans this switch pretty much has everything you need.

Can we get a Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor grunt? 

#TechTips

We all love simple and easy tricks that will make your life easier and save you time! Today, we’re giving you a few tricks when it comes to typing on your PC! 
 

– Move the cursor quicker to the beginning of the previous word by pressing CTRL+Left Arrow instead of doing it manually.

-To get the cursor to the beginning of the next word, use CTRL+Right Arrow. 

-Recover a deleted item with ALT+Backspace. 

-Delete an entire word by pressing CTRL+Backspace. 

-Make superscript and subtext by pressing CTRL+= for sub, and CTRL+ for superscript. 

-Paste in plain text and not what was originally formatted, after copying, by pressing CTRL + Shift + V. 

Happy typing! 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,692,782 active COVID cases, 26,035,314 have recovered and there have been 593,148 deaths. 
  • Moderna is testing a 50-microgram dose of its vaccine in previously vaccinated individuals. It found the booster does increased antibody responses against the original virus as well as the two variants that have spread to other countries. 
  • Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched and then landed the latest prototype of its Starship rocket. The flight was the fifth high-altitude test of a Starship prototype, and the first that ended without the rocket destroyed. 
  • Twitter will require a little more thought when replying to a tweet. They have released a feature that automatically detects “mean” replies on its service and prompts people to review the replies before sending them. Twitter users will have three options in response: tweet as-is, edit or delete. 
  • The latest production cuts from Ford due to an ongoing shortage of semiconductor chips will impact early production of its highly anticipated Bronco SUV. Aside from Broncos, other vehicles impacted by the cuts include Ford’s Super Duty models and Mustang. 

CK Daily – 05.05.2021

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In This Issue: 10ft Black Cat5 Slim Ethernet Patch Cable | Hidden Google Games | News to Start Your Day

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Today is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862! 

The CK Daily – Birthday Traditions

Happy Wednesday!

Well, we have successfully made it to the month of May and I can’t be more excited as this is my birthday month. I’m the type of person who loves to celebrate others and myself in a big way. Typically for my birthday, I celebrate each week of May in some way. Whether it’s going out to my favorite restaurant, buying something I’ve always wanted, or strongly suggesting to my husband the idea of “surprising” me with an activity I’ve always wanted to do.   

Over the years, I’ve learned 2 things:

1. Life is too short not to enjoy it to the fullest.

2. Celebrating/pampering yourself is one of the most rewarding things you can do. 

Do you have birthday traditions? If so, what are they?

Shanyce

Product Spotlights & Updates:

Hope you’re having a wonderful Wednesday!

Today we want to introduce you to Slim Ethernet Patch Cables. These cables are not only stylish (as slim is in) but very functional as well. The slim cable is ideal for high-density installations in data centers, but really could be used in any application where Cat6 is needed. The thinner cable design provides for better airflow and easier cable management. The low-profile boot design also makes it easier to use when connecting and disconnecting cables. At 28 AWG vs the standard 24 AWG this low profile cable is 25% smaller in diameter than standard Ethernet Patch Cables. Did we mention that this thin profile doesn’t come at the cost of performance?

These cables are CAT6 rated, UL listed, RoHS Compliant, ETL Verified, and meet several verification standards. Even better we have the 10ft Black Cat5 Slim Ethernet Patch Cable on sale now!

7 Hidden Google Games You Can Play for Free!

Time seems to slow down when you’re bored and can’t find ways to pass the time. Thankfully, Google has you covered—no need for a gaming PC or console, Google has secret mini-games in almost all of its products, from Chrome and Search to Google Earth.

These include old favorites like Pac-Man and Tic-Tac-Toe, as well as some Google originals like the hidden dinosaur game. If you’re bored, struggling with ways to count down the hours, and desperately avoiding the day job, then these hidden Google games could be the answer! 

1. Flight Simulator (Google Earth)

To play Flight Simulator, all you need is to launch Google Earth Pro and press Ctrl + Alt + A to launch the Flight Simulator window. It allows you to choose your aircraft and start location, as well as allowing you to control the simulator using a joystick.

2. Google Dinosaur Game (Google Chrome)

If you’ve ever wondered why you see a dinosaur in Google Chrome whenever you lose connection trying to access a page, wonder no longer. This is actually a fun little built-in hidden Google game for you to try.

3. Solitaire

To play it, type solitaire into Google Search on any browser and press the Play button. You can choose to play either the easy or hard difficulty modes by pressing on one of the options.

4. Clouds (Android)

If you’re looking for a hidden Google Android game, then give Clouds a try. This casual game will only appear when you try to make a search on Google in the Google Android app while your device is offline.

5. Pac-Man 

To play Pac-Man, all you need to do is search for Pac-Man in a Google search. Instead of a typical search snippet or video, Google will instead provide you with a playable, HTML5 version of the classic Pac-Man game at the top of the search results.

6. Google Doodle Games

For many years, Google has switched up its logo for new art and entertainment to celebrate events. Originally, these were just images, but as web tech has improved, these have evolved into fully-fledged interactive experiences. You can plan the different ones overtime in the Google Doodles Archive.

7. Text Adventure 

You’ll need to use the hidden Google Chrome console to use this. First, search for text adventure in Google Search, then right-click the browser window and press Ctrl+Shift+J to open the browser console. In the console terminal, type yes and press enter to begin playing the game.

Want to learn more about these games, check out more of this article here! 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,716,208 active COVID cases, 25,966,389 have recovered and there have been 592,410 deaths. 
  • UPS and FedEx are working to provide critical aid to India as Covid cases there have topped 20 million. The UPS Foundation is pledging $1 million in aid and FedEx announced a $4 million commitment. 
  • Convenience store chain Circle K is launching a beverage subscription program for $5.99 per month. 
  • Facebook’s Workplace enterprise communications software has now reached 7 million paid subscribers.  Facebook Workplace facilitates online group work, instant messaging, video conferencing, and news sharing. 
  • The American Rescue Plan, which President Joe Biden signed in mid-march, waived federal tax on up to $10,2000 of unemployment benefits. The IRS will start issuing refunds to eligible taxpayers in May. This applies to workers who have filed a tax return before the Covid relief bill became law.