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CK Daily Updates

CK Daily – 4.26.2021

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In This Issue: Cisco 3750X/3850 Stack Power Cabe | Google Storage Updates | News to Start Your Day

Today, on National Pretzel Day, we recognize one of America’s favorite snacks! Take your pick of a bag of nice crunchy, salty pretzels or a big, warm, soft, cinnamon pretzel – both are delicious! Fun fact: Pennsylvania produces 80% of the nation’s pretzels!

The CK Daily – Busy but Grateful

Happy Monday CK Fam!

It’s Corey again! It’s also Monday morning again. So easy to be bummed that the weekend is already over. A weekend celebrating the birthday of my wife, eating pizza, visiting friends and family, playing games, and trying to keep up with chores around the house.

Instead of choosing to be bummed out because I’m back at work or frustrated that there wasn’t more down time, I’m taking this morning to count my blessings and remember how good we have it. The distraction of more is something many people are anxious about. More money, more time, more entertainment, more vacation days, the list goes on.

Today, instead of wishing for more, I implore you to look at what you have and choose to be grateful. 

Do you have a piece of scripture, devotional, or daily affirmation that you reference in order to keep you happy with what you have?

One of my favorites is Psalm 118:24. 

Thanks for tuning in. Have a stellar Monday and week!

Corey

Product Spotlights & Updates:

The Cisco 30cm Stack Power Cable connects multiple 3750X series switches in order to share power between them.

Switches with StackPower Technology allow for power supplies to be stacked as a shared and common resource. By using this StackPower cable, you can connect switches with the StackPower technologies. This is different from the StackWise-480 cables. The StackPower can be deployed in either power-sharing mode or redundancy mode.

What’s also great about this technology is its feature of zero-footprint redundancy, basically where you can add one additional power supply to any switch in the stack and that power supply will provide redundancy to the entire stack. You can also assign priorities to switches and ports for higher availability during outages. As long as the total available power is more than the power in use in the stack, the StackPower technology will use the excess power for redundancy.

Storage on your Google Account & Upcoming Updates

Have you been getting notifications that your storage is almost full on your Google Account? 

Every Google account comes with free storage, but if that’s not enough for you, more can be purchased. Regardless of how much you have, you probably want to keep tabs on how much you’re using. We’ll show you how.

Google offers two cloud storage options. You can stick with the free 15GB option that every account gets or upgrade to “Google One” and pay for more. Before we check how much storage you have left, it’s important to understand what counts toward it.

What counts toward Google Storage? 

Before Google One, the company’s cloud storage went through Google Drive. However, it was never just Google Drive. Gmail and Google Photos also counted toward your storage allotment. To clarify things, Google One was created.

Whether you pay for Google One or not, your storage is spread across three products: Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Here’s everything that counts toward your storage:

–Google Drive: Everything in the “My Drive” section and the Trash folder

–Gmail: All emails and attachments, including items from Spam and Trash folders

–Google Photos: All photos and videos stores in “Original” quality. 

Beginning June 1, 2021, however, the following will also count toward your storage:

-All new photos or videos uploaded to Google Photos. 

-New Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard files. 

How to check your Google Account Storage? 

Checking how much storage you have left is as simple as clicking a link. Simply go to drive.google.com/settings/storage. If you’re a Google One subscriber, it will automatically redirect to the appropriate page.

Want to learn more? Check out this article from HowToGeek. 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,858,406 active COVID cases, 25,379,831 have recovered and there have been 586,152 deaths. 
  • The 93rd annual Academy Awards made history before the first award was even handed out. Chloe Zhao took home the best directing trophy, becoming the second woman to claim the title. Her film, “Nomadland,” also snagged the top prize of the night, best picture. 
  • Netflix won seven Academy Awards at the Oscars, the most of any distributor. Heading into the Academy Awards ceremony, the streaming service has 36 Oscar nominations across 17 films. 
  • Johnson & Johnson vaccinations resumed in several states after regulators confirmed the COVID shot’s safety. An unusual blood clot was listed as a very rare side effect. 
  • SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavor spacecraft had a close call with an unidentified object before reaching the International Space Station. US Space Command warned the crew aboard the spacecraft of a possible collision with an unknown object after launching into orbit on Friday. 

CK Daily – 4.23.2021

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In This Issue: 3650 Rack Mount Kit | Pooped or Pepped | News to Start Your Day

April 23rd is National Picnic Day! Hopefully, the weather where you are is nice enough today for you to pack up your lunch and take it outdoors! What are your favorite foods to enjoy on a picnic? 

The CK Daily – How can we serve you?

Happy Friday, folks! 

I’m going to start today’s post with a customer story. We recently had a customer (we’ll call him John) whose switch died, and he came back to us to get it replaced under our Lifetime Warranty. What did we do? We served his face off (as Shanyce says) and sent him a replacement out fast! What made this situation unique is the customer bought the switch from us 7 YEARS AGO! When we launched the Lifetime Warranty years ago, our goal was to help customers know that they could stretch their budget by buying pre-owned equipment.

So why am I sharing this story today? We’re in the process of updating our Mission statement. One of the questions that a Mission statement should answer is “What value do we provide our customers?” Launching the Lifetime Warranty many years ago was a way for us to provide value to customers. And replacing a unit that died after seven years shows that we’re still here to provide that value. This brings me to a couple of questions I have for you: Where have other vendors or partners dropped the ball in serving you, and what did they do to make it right? Or what things would you like to see your partner or vendor do to serve you more? 

Chris

Product Spotlights & Updates:

TGIF! Today we’re spotlighting the 3650 Rack Mount Kit, the RACK-KIT-T1. There’s not much to say about this steel rack kit aside from its durable construction, lifetime warranty, and 100% compatibility to Cisco 3650 Switches! These rack mount kits also come with screws and everything you need for installation. We’ll tell you a little secret, these rack kits not only work with the 3650 series, but the 3850 and 9300 series switches as well. If all else fails you could also use them to rackmount decorations to your rack… be creative and use lots of electrical tape! 

Pooped or Pepped – Jon Gordon

What can a little 3-month-old puppy teach me about the keys to happiness and success? Everything!

I remember two years ago when I was about to take our new puppy Dharma for a walk I stood outside the door with a leash in one hand and a plastic bag in the other and I thought to myself, “Great, I’m going to be picking up dog poop every day for about the next 13 years.” I even did the math and counted 3 poops a day times 365 days times 13 years. Then I realized how negative that was and knew I needed to change my thinking. So I then thought, “But think of all the joy she brings and will bring to my children, my wife, and me. The love and joy is clearly worth all that POOP.” Immediately after thinking this positive thought, I started to feel pepped while the negative thoughts made me feel bad. So the lesson I learned and want to share with you is don’t let poop… get you pooped. 🙂 Instead, change your thinking, shift your perception, and get pepped!

Every moment of every day we have a choice to think positive thoughts that make us feel good or negative thoughts that make us feel bad. Positive thoughts strengthen us while negative thoughts weaken us. There’s even scientific evidence that shows that you are physically stronger while thinking positive thoughts versus negative thoughts. We also know that positive thoughts enhance health, happiness and longevity. When we start paying attention to how we feel in response to our thoughts we’ll notice that our emotions are signals that alert us to how we are thinking. Good thoughts lead to good feelings and negative thoughts lead to bad feelings.

The key is to start paying attention to your feelings and thoughts and when you are feeling bad, switch to a thought that feels good. And if you are unsure of as to what positive thoughts you should be thinking, all you have to remember is gratitude and appreciation. Being grateful and appreciative will always make you feel pepped. You may not like your job but you can be thankful you have one. You may have to drive in traffic but thank God you can see while others can’t. And while your life may not be where you want it to be you can choose to believe that the future is bright and great things are happening every day. Your thoughts and perception will determine your reality. Try the following action steps this week to be pepped instead of pooped.

Action Steps

1. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left side make a list of your common negative thoughts.

2. Now, change your perception and replace your negative thought with a positive thought. Write these down on the right side of the paper.

3. This week pay attention to your thoughts and feelings and choose the thoughts that make you feel pepped instead of pooped.

We hope you enjoyed this Friday Encouragement from Jon Gordon.

Today’s New to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,848,237 active COVID cases, 25,236,658 have recovered and there have been 584,226 deaths. 
  • Microsoft is releasing a preview version of Office 2021 for Mac and Office LTSC. Office 2021 for Mac will support both Apple Silicon and Intel-based Macs and require at least 4GB of RAM and 10GB of storage space. It’s designed to be a static release of Office, but during the preview, there will be monthly updates that could include new features. Once Office 2021 for Mac is final and released, no new features will be added.
  • Presumptive No. 1 draft pick Trevor Lawrence will join the Gatorade team in a multi-year deal. 
  • An invasive species of mussel has been found in north Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources posted that zebra mussels were found on a boat at Lake Lanier after it was used on the Tennessee River near Chattanooga, TN. 
  • Gymnast Simone Biles is departing Nike to partner with Gap’s Athleta brand. Biles is going to have her own performance wear line.  

CK Daily – 4.22.2021

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In This Issue: USB Console Cable | A New Launch in the Technology World | News to Start Your Day

Happy Earth Day! Today is a day to show your support for environmental protection. How are you doing your part to celebrate our great big beautiful earth?! 

The CK Daily – Gaining the Right Perspective

You ever get wrapped up in the day-to-day activities and worries so much that you lose the right perspective on things? Gosh, I know I do. It is usually when I get so busy and stuck in my to-do list (the ever-growing to-do list) and take my eyes off of my real priorities and right focus. This is sometimes a daily struggle for me.

I was reminded of this just this week. With everything going on in my personal life with the new house, then some family stuff, and then the craziness (good stuff!) at work, I have felt like I was drowning and “out of control”. You know that feeling of the world closing in on you, you don’t know which way to turn, and feeling like there is just too much going on at one time. I was driving down the road thinking and praying one morning this week and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. Then right after that weight hit me, the following scripture came to mind.

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8

I immediately had a sigh of relief and laughed. I remember saying out loud in my car, “You are right.” I laughed because that is what I consider my life verse. This is a verse that I have said to myself day in and day out for years, but since I had gotten so wrapped up in the “activities” of what was going on around me and things I needed to do, I had lost my focus of what that verse says and what it means. I held on to that verse during some of the darkest and lowest times in my life, but for the past two weeks I had let that slip away from my mind and instead of resting in God and allowing Him to direct my steps, I had just been doing everything in my own understanding and power. In other words, worrying about stuff and trying to fix stuff myself. Although the issues and problems didn’t immediately go away, I have comfort in knowing that God’s got this. He has told me that I should not be afraid and should not be discouraged because He is with me and He has gone before me to prepare the way and to prepare me for the way. 

It is comforting to me to know that I am not in this alone and the one that holds all things in His hands and holds all things together, can hold me together and He will walk with me through it all and guide my steps, even when I don’t understand or can’t see the end result.

Do you have a go-to verse or saying that you hold on to when you feel like things are starting to spin out of control or you feel that weight pressing you down? Or maybe one that just encourages you daily?

Jason

Product Spotlights & Updates:

Upgrade your network with our 6 foot, Cisco Compatible Light Blue USB A to USB mini-B Rollover Console Cable, CAB-CONSOLE-USB. These cables will console your IT network by helping you communicate and configure a networking device. Console cable utilizes USB 2.0 to facilitate the console function. 

The USB A portion attaches to the USB port or your computer or laptop and the USB mini-B attaches to the device. This type of one-piece cable replaces older “kits” that contained multiple cables and adapters. This newer type of console cable is compatible with most newer Cisco equipment. And as always, this particular cable comes new in original packaging. 

A New Launch in the Technology World

Did you see Apple’s launch of the Apple AirTag? They’re quite impressive, especially if you find yourself losing your keys frequently. With Bluetooth trackers, your chances of locating lost items within minutes are much more likely. Prior to the release of the AirTag, Tile controlled roughly 80% of the tracker market. They were the dominant company to buy from if you wanted to be reunited with a lost item. Now, if you own an iPhone, they’re aren’t many reasons to buy a Tile tracker. 

How do AirTags and Tile Trackers work? Great question! Apple AirTags and Tile trackers use almost identical technology under the hood. Both utilize Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) to pair to your smartphone, allowing you to ping and locate the tracker in case it goes missing. With the press of an in-app button on your smartphone, the AirTag or Tile’s built-in speaker will start ringing.

The AirTag has an additional tracking feature enabled by the inclusion of Apple’s U1 chip. Using Ultra-Wideband technology, your iPhone (as long as it’s an iPhone 11 or newer) can use spatial awareness to precisely locate the AirTag. It will literally point you in the correct direction and count down the feet to your lost item. Pretty amazing, right? 

Want to learn more about the features of Apple’s new AirTag, check out this article! Do you have an Android? This one’s for you!

Today’s News to Start Your Day

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,841,287 active COVID cases, 25,177,434 have recovered and there have been 583,330 deaths. 
  • Disney has reached a deal with Sony Pictures to bring new “Spider-Man” movies and other films to Disney’s streaming services and TV networks in the U.S. after they play on Netflix. 
  • President Joe Biden announced a tax credit for employers offering Covid vaccine-related paid leave. 
  • The growing list of “first” for Perseverance, NASA’s newest six-wheeled robot on the Martian surface, includes converting some of the Red Planet’s thin, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere into oxygen. A toaster-size, experimental instrument aboard Perseverance called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment accomplished the task. 
  • The chief medical officer of BioNTech has stated that people will likely need a third shot of its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine as immunity against the virus wanes. 

CK Daily – 4.21.2021

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In This Issue: Inline Coupler Keystone Jacks | #TechTips | News to Start Your Day

Happy Wednesday! Happy hump day! No matter how you declare it, Wednesday is the halfway mark to the weekend and that alone is a reason to celebrate! 

The CK Daily – Everything is Figure-Out-Able

Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a great week so far!

I was shopping at Hobby Lobby the other day and came across a tiny wooden sign that had “Everything is Figure-Out-Able” painted on it. It’s not something I was necessarily looking for and it was definitely overpriced at $4.99, but I had to have it. That phrase is one that I have lived by most of my life (but I had never seen it on my décor!) It’s definitely a phrase that pops into my mind any time I get “stuck” in life, whether personal or professional! I think it’s a great perspective to remember that most problems DO have a solution, we just have to stop and figure out what it is! Do you have any fun phrases that you love? 

I’d love to know!

Rebecca

Product Spotlights & Updates:

Today we’ll be highlighting an Inline Coupler for Cat6 ethernet cables. The KEYILC-6-BK is a feed-thru style keystone jack and coupler that snaps into wallplates and patch panels without the need for punch-down tools! If you need a quick way to connect two cables together this is your best bet. 

Designed for Cat6 cables, this inline coupler can also work with Cat5e cables as well as has standard RJ45 female to RJ45 female connectors. 

#TechTips

Do you find yourself taking notes during an email and having to email them out after the meeting is over? Microsoft Teams lets you write notes during a meeting making them easy to find afterward. You can access them from the meeting appointment at any time in the future.

Not every meeting requires notes, but if you’re making decisions, assigning tasks, or working on something particularly important, taking meeting notes is overall good practice. Want to learn how to turn this function on, this article from How To Geek will show walk you through each step! 

Happy note taking! 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,848,479 active COVID cases, 25,105,535 have recovered and there have been 582,456 deaths. 
  • Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd. A jury convicted the former Minneapolis police officer on three charges of murder and manslaughter, nearly a year after a viral video of his crime sparked global protests and a national reckoning over police brutality. 
  • Apple held its first product launch event of the year, where it announced a colorful new iMac and an updated iPad Pro with 5G and the M1 chip that’s also used in the company’s desktop computers. They also announced an AirTag lost-device tracking gadget and a refreshed Apple TV 4k with a brand-new remote. Check out more details here!
  • Domino’s Pizza, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut are under pressure to hold onto their new customers as economies reopen. 
  • Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced Facebook is launching a suite of new tools and features designed to help users better connect with each other and their favorite creators through audio. 
  • In the first quarter, Netflix has reported that they’ve seen a dramatic slowdown in subscribers. Much of this fall has been claimed to be due to Netflix having to delay some of its big-name shows and films due to the pandemic. 

CK Daily – 4.20.2021

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In This Issue: C3KX-NM-10G | Tech News | News to Start Your Day

Today we pay our respects to the bean that we either have a love or hate relationship with. That’s right, today is National Lima Bean Respect Day! There’s truly a holiday for everything! Are you a lima bean fan? Here are some recipes you can try! Southern Lima Beans | Lemon-Garlic Lima Beans | Lima Bean Soup

The CK Daily – Avoid White Caps!

Happy Tuesday! Can you believe it’s already April? Am I the only one feeling like this year is going fast? 

Today, I wanted to share a fun little story since the weather is getting warmer. Being raised in New York, rowing was a big sport in our town. I was able to be part of my town’s rowing club for 2 years during high school. We had our first meeting comping up and barely had any time to practice in the after because of white caps (white tips of the waves). If there is one thing you should avoid while rowing or doing any water-related activity is white caps! At this point of the season, all we did was run and practice on the rowing machines. It was a new season and new team, we really wanted to show everyone that we were not the girls to mess with this year! So what did we do? We begged our coach to let us take the eight boat out while the white caps were low. Hesitantly he agreed. We made it probably half a mile out before we all regretted it. The white caps increased and none of us were prepared for what was going to happen next. I can still remember my coach with his mega horn screaming “HOLD STARBOARD! HOLD STARBOARD! ROW PORT! ROW PORT!” I was on the starboard side and holding onto my oar for dear life. We tried to do a U-turn but it did not work. We ended up all flipping over and capsizing. Luckily no one got hurt and a small boat was passing by and witnessed the whole thing. They offered to tugged our boat back to the dock. We were all able to fit into their boat and the coach’s boat and returned back to the dock. The worst thing about this was not capsizing, it was the walk of shame we had to make back to the boathouse. In rowing, everyone is responsible for their own boat. That means you have to bring your boat in and out of the dock. Our whole team was able to help us drain and lift the boat out of the river. As we lifted the boat above our shoulders, all the cold, dirty river water and regret poured all over us. It was a harsh lesson to never go out during white caps again. We were soaked and embarrassed walking back to our boathouse. This boathouse was shared with four other teams. Looking back at it, it was hilarious and I wished I was able to witness everything haha! I don’t even remember if we won that race or even placed in the top 3. Somewhere floating in the Hudson river is the missing pair of my neon bright Reebok sneaker. Anyways the lesson is to avoid white caps if you plan on rowing!

Here’s a video of how it kinda went down. Just imagine rain and white caps in the water haha!

Product Spotlight & Updates:

Happy Tuesday! Today’s product spotlight is the C3KX-NM-10G! These Cisco C3KZ-NM-10G 10 Gigabit network modules are compatible with Cisco 3650-X and 3750-X switches. These modules include 4 total slots. The ports on the module are set up in pairs and can be set up to support four 1 Gb SFP modules, two 10Gb SFP+ modules, or a combination of two 1 GB SFP modules and one 10Gb SFP+ module. 

To top this product off, enjoy this great review from Keith! “This expansion sled allows us to use either 4 1gig or 2 10gig SFP / SFP+ modules in our Cisco 3750×2 switches. For some reason, these simple sleds without optics cost upwards of $2000 a piece from other retailers. Cables and Kits allow us to purchase these modules for a fraction of that cost and best yet they work! We are linking up a blade chassis at 10gps using fiber optic sfp+ modules in these and I’m not seeing any issues on the interface counters. Great job!”

Tech News: IT & Security Operations Teams Must Be Ready for 2021 and Beyond

Due to COVID-19, 2020 will be widely regarded as the year that work moved home. In reality, it was the year work moved to the cloud and everywhere in between. As a result, endpoint management and endpoint security are now the cornerstones of effective protection and the foundation for the next generation of security.

As the world moves beyond the pandemic, some people will return to the office and begin traveling again. Here are some stats: 80% of companies will offer more flexible workplaces post-pandemic and 70% of employees will take advantage of the flexibility offered. 

In the end, 2021 will be the year of the hybrid workforce and effective cybersecurity will require a combination of technology, processes, and people. With the reported 250% increase in cybercrime targeting towards work-from-home employees, it is key to implement/consider a few things: 

–The perimeter is dead – secure the data and the device: Phishing scams and botnets pose the most significant threats to organizations. 

–Foster cyber hygiene: It is essential that you proactively educate and foster better cyber hygiene behaviors for remote workers. There must be a collective effort toward adopting platforms, tools, and services where everyone within the organization participates. 

–Data Risk and Privacy Management: Most successful cyberattacks exploit: failures to patch known vulnerabilities, misconfigured firewalls or network infrastructure, unsecured databases, or social engineering malware. Organizations can close the gaps and seals the cracks from a compliance, patching and deployment perspective, when taking a holistic approach. 

Want to read more? Check out this Forbes article and learn more about what Moore Insights and Strategy reveals about their research. 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,850,038 active COVID cases, 25,043,463 have recovered and there have been 581,542 deaths. 
  • Wall Street banks view central bank digital currencies as the next big financial disruptor. Counties as large as China and as small as the Bahamas have instituted these digital currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve is taking a cautious approach – launching a project with MIT. 
  • Amazon signed a contract for nine launches of its Project Kuiper internet satellites on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rockets. 
  • PayPal plans to set up a local wallet in China focused on cross-border payments. 
  • Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service, previously known as xCloud, will begin rolling out in beta to iPhones, iPads, and PCs this week. The service will be invite-only to start. Xbox Cloud Gaming is similar to Netflix for games, letting you stream games to your device instead of using a video game console. 

CK Daily – 4.19.2021

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In This Issue: SFP-10G-LR | #TechTips | News to Start Your Day

Well hello, Monday! We hope the agenda for the weekend called for plenty of relaxation and time with friends/family. What did you do this weekend? Do you have any upcoming weekend plans you’re looking forward to? 

The CK Daily – At One with Nature

Happy Monday All!

As I’ve mentioned before, I really enjoy the outdoors. Something we did in my high school course, Environmental Management, was go out in nature and sit silently and observe. 

I’ve continued this throughout my years after high school because of the serenity, and the beauty of taking this in on a slower and smaller scale. This last weekend, I spend quite a few hours in the woods. I saw various birds from Spotted Towhee to wild Turkey, bees buzzing, and fish jumping in a near pond. 

It’s so easy to let our lives go by with routine and time, forgetting our Missions. There are many Missions in their life. Dedication to our family, our God, our work, our community. Easily we forego them with distractions in the comfort of our 21st-century lives. This is why I’m thankful for being One with Nature this weekend. Prayer. Reflection. Recalibrating on my Missions. 

As we start this week anew, let’s turn our focus to the Missions in front of us, and be thankful for what we have. 

Thanks for tuning in, 

Corey

Product Spotlights & Updates:

The Cisco 10GBase-LR SFP+ transceiver module was designed for long-range data transmission and supports data transfer over a distance of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) using single-mode fiber. This transceiver module transfers data at a rate of 10 Gigabits per second and is an ideal option for connectivity needs in large data centers, enterprise wiring closets, large campuses, and Metro Area Networks.

While this SFP+ module is capable of transmitting data over long distances, there is no minimum distance required. As such, this module is also suitable for short-range data transmission as well.

Check out the incredible features:

– Long-Range Transmission – The SFP+ module is capable of data transfer over a distance of up to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

– Hot-Swappable – No need to power down your device when plugging in or removing these modules.

– Small Form Factor – This module is the smallest form factor available for data transmission at speeds of 10Gbps.

– Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM) Capability – Allows for strong diagnostic capabilities. 

Want to learn more about SFPs and why you need one? Check out this video!

#TechTips

It’s always important to know how to protect yourself and your organization against spam and malware. Today, tech+wise(group) offer tips/tricks on ways to do this. 

Know Your Acronyms to Protect Against SPAM

We recommend that everyone deploy DKIM, SPF, and DMARC. These three protocols add another layer of spam filtering that allows you to quarantine suspicious emails and review reports on specific emails within your organization. 

Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM): A method for ensuring that your emails are properly “electronically signed” by Microsoft when they are sent. Typically, DKIM is enabled by adding DNS records. This helps to prevent spoofing. 

Sender Policy Framework (SPF): An email-authentication technique that is used to prevent spammers from sending messages on behalf of your domain. SPF records are used for spam filtering and to prevent your email from being flagged as spam. 

Domain-Bassed Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance: This is an email authentication, policy, and reporting protocol. DMARC builds on the widely deployed SPF and DKIM protocols, adding features like the “from” author widget. It allows administrators to link emails from a specific author or domain name, handle authentication failures, and monitor email traffic. 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • As of this morning, in the US, there are 6,862,173 active COVID cases, 24,961,229 have recovered and there have been 581,061 deaths. 
  • NASA successfully conducted the first controlled flight on another planet. The Mars helicopter Ingenuity flew a short flight above the red planet. This flight is being described as “a Wright Brother moment” on another planet. 
  • The U.K. Treasury and Bank of England have launched a joint task force to explore a potential central bank digital currency. 
  • China’s CanSino Biologics will start clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine administered through inhalation next week. Such a vaccine could be more effective than those injected given the virus enters the human body through the airway. 
  • Hester Ford, a North Carolina woman who was recognized as the oldest living American, died peacefully on Saturday in her home with family. Ford was 115 years and 245 days only at the time of death. Ford was often described not just as an ordinary woman, but an extra-ordinary one!