The Cable Guy Opines

svga-utah-provo-vga-utah

2011-11-15T20:08:00.002-07:00

So you need a 50 feet VGA / SVGA cable for a projector. Where on earth can you find that? You've already called all the big box stores and the crickets in the background tell you that you're barking up the wrong tree. Luckily for you there is a place in Orem, Utah that stocks up to 100 feet SVGA cables AND they have them at discounted prices. So check out WhataCable.com You'll be very surprised at the many choices and the amazing prices. You can order online and have the cables delivered or run down to their showroom and pick the cable up Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. You'll be impressing clients with your power point on the projector... or if you're like me, watching Tron at home with your projector!

Until next time
The Cable Guy

P.S. In full disclosure I am affiliated with WhataCable and hope you'll tell others about this company.

CAT6-orem-utah-salt-lake

2011-11-15T19:51:00.003-07:00

So you're setting up a network and you're wondering, "Do I put in CAT6 or CAT5E cables? " The answer depends on EVERYTHING in the system. Think of the cables as pipes. If you have a 1/2" pipe in the middle of the house, but all the other pipes are 1/4" , then you will never get more than 1/4" of flow through the pipes. A network is similar. If you're network card, router, server, wires in the wall, patch panels, etc. are CAT5E, adding CAT6 cables makes no sense. Also, if you are doing short runs under 25 feet, even if everything else is Gigabit rated, you're probably not going to notice a difference between the CAT6 and CAT5E cable. That being said, you'll never decrease your speed by running CAT6 and some feel better about running that CAT6 cable. It has a slightly different feel to the wire as the the wires inside are paired and twisted differently. Both cables are unshielded (UTP). So feel free to run CAT6, but know in most cases for shorter runs, you'll be just fine with that CAT5E cable. If you are close to Orem, Provo, or Salt Lake City, Utah, you should know about WhataCable.com located in Orem, Utah. They deeply discount CAT5E and CAT6 cables. They have a huge supply of inventory to choose from. Give them a call or hop on their website. You can even go see them and their showroom. Don't pay full retail for these at the big box companies. Save yourself or your company some money!

Until next time
The Cable Guy

HDMI-cable-Utah-discount

2011-11-15T19:42:00.002-07:00

You've just gone to the big box store hoping for the best buy, but it was far from it. "Are you kidding me" you say to yourself? "$100 for an HDMI cable? Do you want my head to explode?" Luckily there is a local company in Orem, Utah that sells discounted HDMI cables. Whatacable.com has a huge selection and deep inventory of HDMI cables. So you're wondering, "Are these like a horrible quality that will make my HDTV look bad?" Well NO! These are the latest specification, currently HDMI 1.4V that is rated high speed, for 3D TV and Ethernet. So get on down to their location or order online! They are open Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. You'll be happy you discovered them. They have tons of audio and video cables, computer cables, networking accessories, and Apple related products. They can be found online, but it's even better to visit their showroom and see all the products.

Until next time
The Cable Guy

In full disclosure, I am affiliated with WhataCable and am trying to get the word out about this great company. Please tell a friend.

orem-utah-fiber-optic-gigabit-provo

2011-11-15T19:33:00.003-07:00

Have you needed some fiber optic cables in a hurry and found the prices to be expensive locally or the quality to be sketchy? If you need gigabit aqua fiber optic cables and you need them FAST, you should check out www.whatacable.com located in Orem, Utah. Custom fiber optic cables are no problem and they can expedite production and delivery to keep your call center, data center, and servers humming! They supply tons of cables at wholesale prices and are making a name for themselves in Utah as the premier local supplier of cables, wire and accessories. Give WhataCable.com a call and see what they can do for you. I think you'll be happy with their service.

Until next time
The Cable Guy

P.S. In full disclosure I'm affiliated with WhataCable.com and would love for you to help spread the word about this great company.

cat5-cat5e-cat6-ethernet-cord-cable-utah

2011-11-15T19:25:00.003-07:00

So you're an IT manager or system admin for your company and you need a network cable, or maybe 100 ethernet patch cords, and you really could use them today, or at least by tomorrow. Where do you turn if you are in Orem, Provo, or Salt Lake City, Utah? Hopefully you don't run down to the big box store and pay full retail. I would suggest you take a look at www.whatacable.com They offer deeply discounted, or wholesale prices, to companies nationwide and they just happen to be located in Orem, Utah! That means Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM you can actually run down to their showroom and pick up the cables you need. Or order online or call an order in and have them delivered either the same day or the next day. They have small minimums for free freight! That's my advice!

The Cable Guy

P.S.
In full disclosure I am affiliated with WhataCable.com and would love for you to help us get the word out! Thanks!

1080p-is-the-answer-PC-use-tv-as-monitor

2010-12-15T00:16:00.002-07:00

I have been using a 23" monitor with my 13" Macbook Pro for a couple of years. I'd expect more than two years life out of a monitor, but yesterday it stopped working and smoke started coming out of the top. I'm no monitor expert, but from my experience with electronics, this means it's toast.

So I find myself yet again at Best Buy browsing through the sorry selection of monitors. 23" is the max. So I think to myself, "I've got HDMI (thanks to the HDMI to mini display port adapter, which can be found at whatacable.com) why not check out the TVs and see if I could just use a TV as a huge monitor which would be great for looking at CAD drawings, Adobe Illustrator, etc. I found a great deal on a 32" LCD TV from a major brand that I trust and head back to the office where I spend the next 24 hours trying to get the resolution correct. I just couldn't get small text to look good. It was way too blurry to read email or read MS Word documents. I was searching for tips, messing with settings on both the computer and TV, but no magic solution. I even tried hooking it up via mini display port to VGA and in to the VGA port on the TV. No luck. I also tried hooking my desktop PC to see if it was an Apple issue. Nope. Same blurry text. Video looked amazing.

So begrudgingly I took the TV back. I hate returning items. As a small business owner I feel for manufacturers who have to take back merchandise. But at the end of the day, it wasn't working and I'd spent a pretty penny for a "monitor" that looked worse than my 23" monitor. So I brought my laptop to Best Buy and started plugging it in to different TVs. They all were blurry! I decided that I was going to go back to the 23" when it hit me. These were all 720p. Would a 1080p make a difference? I found a beautiful 1080p 32" TV and plugged in the HDMI cable. Bingo! Very clear. Not crystal clear, but a spectacular improvement. I told the salesman, "I'll take it.". I took it back to the office and problem solved. The answer did not lie in the settings of the computer or TV. 1080p was the answer.

ipad-case-with-zipper-portfolio-cover

2010-05-12T18:18:00.002-06:00

So you just purchased the fancy iPad. (I've had mine for about 4 days). Maybe you waited for the 3G version. (I did, though WiFi has been great so far). You went to the Apple store (I went to a local University Bookstore). You convince yourself that this is going to be awesome and you pull out the credit card spending somewhere between $499 to $829 depending on the model. (I went with the 3G 32GB.) Then you realize there is no case included. You look at your options at the store, and leave without spending another $50 for an over-priced case. But, you're worried. You don't want that shiny new iPad bouncing around in your back pack. You need some protection. So you hop online and do a quick search. Up comes an ad for WhataCable! They are offering a nice looking iPad case for only $9.99. That seems like a screaming deal. You click and order. It ships the same day and arrives within a short time later. You rejoice at the sleek good looking case that now protects your iPad. As you watch videos, play games, and browse the Internet, you love your iPad (it really is amazing and I love it). You love it even more when you put in the case you purchased from WhataCable! and throw it in your backpack knowing it is well protected.

Well now you see how great it would be, you can order it here: http://www.whatacable.com/ipad-case-black-soft-fitting-portfolio-style-case-zipper-black-neoprene.aspx

Don't pay too much for a case!

Until next time
The Cable Guy

ardell-brown-rv-bad-service-camping-world

2010-04-07T11:48:00.001-06:00

Attn. Owner / General Manager
Ardell Brown RV Center / Camping World
13153 South Minuteman Drive
Draper, UT 84020

April 06, 2010

To Whom It May Concern:

I was very disappointed by my first visit to the Ardell Brown service center and thought that you would like to know about my experience. I know, as a business owner myself, I would want to know if a customer had a bad experience with my company.

Let me try to explain. I recently purchased my first RV - a 19’ trailer, nothing special. I wanted to get it checked out before we went on a camping trip over spring break and needed to get a turn signal fixed. I did a web search for RV Service locations in Utah. I found abrv.com which says “Ardell Brown RV & Camping World” on the home page. I live in Highland and that looked like it would be close enough to become my new service center. I printed a coupon that was emailed to me for 10% off service. The coupon says, “Save 10% off any Service or Repair from Camping World”. I had a $1,031.38 service ticket and presented my coupon to the cashier. He said he wasn’t sure if he could take it. I was confused. Then he came back and said, “No indeed he couldn’t accept it.” The 10% coupon was the whole reason I brought my trailer in to be serviced at Ardell Brown / Camping World. So I asked to speak to a manager. The manager also told me that they could not accept the coupon because Camping World was separate from Ardell Brown. I asked him if Ardell Brown and Camping World were the same company. He admitted that they were – but again said they had their own service center – which was not obvious. I asked them what the company website was. They said abrv.com. I pointed out right on my iPhone that on abrv.com it says “Camping World” on the website. Yet, they stood their ground. Your store even has signs that say Camping World.

Let me just say this. Even if I had a competitor’s coupon, at this point, the right thing to do would have been to give me the 10% discount. But it wasn’t even a competitor’s coupon. It was Camping World, which from everything I can see, from the website, from your showroom, to your employees, I was indeed at Ardell Brown / Camping World – owned by the same company. Your website even says “Part of the Camping World RV Sales Network” and “Copyright 2010 Camping World.”

As a business owner I would have looked at the cost of that $87 (10% off of labor) on a $1,031.38 ticket and saw an opportunity to make a lifetime customer, even if the customer was dead wrong – which I still claim I was not wrong based on your website and everything else mentioned. But, the lost opportunity lies here. I’m 39 years old with my first RV experiencing my first visit to an RV service center. I have 30-40 more years of upgrading RVs and servicing them. We camp with other families all with nice RVs. You have now lost all future business from me. I will tell others that we camp with of my bad experience and they will likely go elsewhere. All over $87… That’s a lesson I’d teach your staff.

iPad-Apple-iPhone-MacBook-Pro-thoughts

2010-01-28T08:43:00.003-07:00

I converted to the iPhone in June 2009 and a Macbook Pro month or two later. I'm a big fan of both. I still use a desktop PC at work along with the MacBook Pro. At home we have a desktop PC and an PC laptop. I think the iPad is revolutionary and could be what we all migrate to eventually. I think it's missing some key features, but given the price, it is not bad and Apple will release better models in the future forcing the early adopters to upgrade. That's part of their master plan, just like with the iPhone. If I'm Amazon, I'd be watching this closely. Apple is going to steal the thunder from the Kindle and start eating up e-book business just like it did with music & iTunes.

If you need any apple cables or iPod / iPhone chargers or sync cables, whatacable.com has a great selection. You can get a dual USB car charger, one for iPod and the other for iPhone for $8.93. http://www.whatacable.com/ You can find other cables such as the Mini DisplayPort cables and adapters as well.

Until next time - The Cable Guy

iPad-Apple-iPhone-MacBook-Pro-thoughts

USB-RJ45-Ethernet-Adapter

2009-11-06T18:56:00.001-07:00

FM-Transmitter-iphone-ipod

2009-11-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

USB-Transfer-Cable-mac-to-pc

2009-11-06T18:44:00.002-07:00

macbook-pro-to-tv-connect-hdmi

2009-10-19T21:32:00.003-06:00

I have recently spent some time on college campuses across Utah speaking to students about cables. You might think that most students don't care or even know anything about cables. Well, that might be true for some students, but nowadays, these students have literally grown up with computers and many know what the cables do or at least get the basic idea of what they can do. So being the cable expert at the college campus, I answered questions that the students had about their cable needs. So what was the number one question I was asked?

“How do I connect my computer to my TV?” The cool thing about most campuses is that the students are carrying Macs, and Macs are easy to connect to new TVs that have VGA, DVI or HDMI. If you have a MacBook Pro, you'll need a Mini DisplayPort adapter. You'll need to find out which connection your TV has: VGA, DVI, or HDMI. Most new TVs have HDMI. If you need HDMI, you need a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, along with an HDMI cable to connect to the TV. For most students a 10-15 feet cable will work.

For an HDMI TV, projector, or monitor to a MacBook Pro you'll need:
Mini DisplayPort to HDMI – Item # MDP-HDMI
HDMI Cable – 10 Feet – Item # HDMI-3M

For a DVI TV, projector, or monitor to a MacBook Pro you'll need:
Mini DisplayPort to DVI – Item # MDP-DVI
DVI Cable – 10 Feet – Item # DVI-3M

For a VGA TV, projector, or monitor to a MacBook Pro, you'll need:
Mini DisplayPort to VGA – Item # MDP-VGA
VGA / SVGA Cable – 10 Feet – Item # HD15MM-10

For an HDMI TV, projector, or monitor to a MacBook you'll need:
Mini DVI to HDMI – Item # MDVI-HDMI
HDMI Cable – 10 Feet – Item # HDMI-3M

For a DVI TV, projector, or monitor to a MacBook you'll need:
Mini DVI to DVI – Item # MDVI-DVI
DVI Cable – 10 Feet – Item # DVI-3M

For a VGA TV, projector, or monitor to a MacBook, you'll need:
Mini DVI to VGA – Item # MDVI-VGA
VGA / SVGA Cable – 10 Feet – Item # HD15MM-10

WhatAcable! cables are generally quite a bit less than the Apple brand cables yet are equivalent in every way to the Apple brand cables.

I enjoy getting out with the students because it allows me to see what is hot, what they want, and what they need.

Until next time – The Cable Guy

Buy your Mini DisplayPort and Mini DVI cables now at www.whatacable.com

Tecnology-of-blogging

2009-10-19T09:54:00.001-06:00

Technology is trully amazing. I've often wished I could send a quick
blog post from the road when an idea has popped in my head. Now
blogspot has an email function where you can email in your blog and
even attach photos. I'm doing just that now. It will help in the
creativity and variety of posts and may even help with the number of
posts. Keep on blogging America, just not while driving.

Until next time - The Cable Guy

usb-ide-sata-power-adapter-converter

2009-10-15T21:54:00.002-06:00

There is a handy little gadget that will allow you to connect an internal IDE or SATA drive up to your USB Port. The link is here: http://www.whatacable.com/usb-2-to-sata-ide-combo-adapter.aspx

This adapter basically plugs into your USB port, then comes with all types of other adapters allowing you to connect a laptop drive, an internal IDE drive, or a SATA drive up to your computer using the USB port. This is ideal if you are trying to transfer files off of a hard drive on to a new laptop or computer that doesn't have the same drive connections, or if you want to use an internal drive as an external drive. It's a bargain and it's today's focus product. Find more great adapters and cables at www.whatacable.com

Until next time - The Cable Guy

vga-gender-changer-bender-hd15-female-male

2009-10-14T23:37:00.002-06:00

So just yesterday I was blogging about how hard it is to find DVI gender changers, and today we had two different orders for VGA gender changers. I think with the economy being so poor, retailers are cutting back on the computer cables that they are stocking. But if you've ever had a VGA cable that has a male end and you need it to be female, you hate to go buy another cable. Especially if you just want to connect it to another VGA cable that you already have. IT managers are turning to companies like WhatAcable! because they stock a wide variety of the hard to find adapters and cables that the IT department is constantly in need of. You can find Serial DB9 RS232 gender changers, SVGA/VGA HD15 gender changers, DVI, and even the old DB25 gender changers, for those who are still kickin' it old school with parallel cables. You'll find all of theme here at this link http://www.whatacable.com/Cable_Gender_Changers.aspx You might even need an HDMI gender changer, and yes they will ship the same day.

Who would have thought that the cable guy would be blogging about gender issues?

Until next time - The Cable Guy

dvi-gender-bender-changer-female-female

2009-10-13T23:37:00.003-06:00

I'm surprised at how hard it is to find gender changers. But, if you've tried going to a computer store to buy a DVI gender changer, you know that they are not to be found. WhataCable.com has a great selection of gender changers for VGA, USB, FireWire, DVI, HDMI, DB9 serial, and DB25 parallel gender changers. These little adapters change the gender of the cable (lots of snickers when I explain what a "gender changer" does) from male to female or vice versa. Say you have a male HD15 SVGA cable end that needs to be female. Rather than buy a whole new cable, you take a female to female gender changer, plug it on the end, and Presto! your cable now has a female end. If you need the DVI gender changer, I'll provide a link. http://www.whatacable.com/dvi-gender-changer-female-to-female-bender.aspx

Now you can go back to making fun of changing the gender of your cable.

Cheers - The Cable Guy

Professional-Cable-Starting-a-business-advice

2009-10-01T15:59:00.001-06:00

The U.S. has been in recession for almost two years, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Approximately 6 million Americans have lost their jobs during that period, based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor.

More than a million individuals and 43,000 businesses filed for bankruptcy in 2008, says the American Bankruptcy Institute.

What a great time to start a business!

A recent Wall Street Journal poll found that 69 percent of respondents thought the current economic climate is a good time to start a business. In fact, many successful companies started during previous economic downturns, including the Hyatt hotel chain, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. They were helped by the greater availability of talented workers and by suppliers’ and landlords’ willingness to negotiate price discounts, among other hidden benefits.
However, startups need to take extra care to avoid obvious missteps that could kill their ventures before the inevitable economic turnaround kicks in and carries them to the relative security of an established business. Experts and established business owners agree that now is no time to cut corners.

So whether you’re a laid-off corporate worker who recently became an entrepreneur by necessity, a fresh college graduate in the process of launching a successful micro-business, or an early retiree who’s finally pursuing your passion, we’ve gathered some gems of wisdom just for you.

Know Yourself The research should start with yourself, says NASE Member Jason Bringhurst, owner of Professional Cable in Orem, Utah.

“What makes you qualified for this business? Do you have any particular skill or knowledge that will help you be successful? If you like being a carpenter or a salesman, you might not enjoy [business ownership] because you will end up spending most of your time running the business,” Bringhurst explains.

Leila Mozaffari, director of the Orange County Small Business Development Center in Santa Ana, Calif., says that she spends much of her counseling time stepping individuals through such questions about their desire to own and run a business, not merely create a job for themselves.
“We don’t tell them what to do. We ask questions so they can decide if they have a good idea,” she says. “Some people have the passion but not the discipline to run a business. Some have the craft ability, but not the business skills. So the first thing they need to understand is what they bring to the business and compare it with what we have seen in successful entrepreneurs.”
And remember, at every stage of business ownership, you need to nurture your craft as well as the business skills that will make you successful.

Make A Plan Once fledgling business owners decide they can and want to run a company, the most important task should be to write a business plan, says NASE Member Will Wiebe, an executive, life, career and transition coach in Portland, Ore.

“If properly prepared [a business plan] can be an invaluable planning tool as well as a means of measuring your progress toward your business objective,” Wiebe says. “The formulation of a solid business plan needs to be viewed as an integral part of any business startup.”
Doing all the research necessary to write a useful plan could take months, but it is well worth the time and effort in the long run, Wiebe adds.

Bringhurst of Professional Cable agrees that many novice business owners “haven’t actually thought through the process of how this business will come together and what it will take to make a living. I had a business plan; not for other people, not for investors, but just for myself so I could think through everything.”

Professional Cable manufactures and supplies computer, network, fiber optic and home theater cables to several different industries nationwide. It is Bringhurst’s second business startup.
“Before opening my doors in 2007, I already had talked with many of my potential customers,” Bringhurst says. “I had already talked with my main suppliers and made them aware that I was going to start another business. But even with so much in place, it still took six months before I could start paying myself a paycheck.”

Keep in mind that business plans aren’t just necessary for startups. Whether you’ve been in business for a few weeks, a few months or even a few years, it’s never too late to craft or revise your business plan.

Find Capital Finding money to fund the startup, growth and expansion of a micro-business is an ongoing necessity for owners. But it’s a particularly critical task for businesses just getting off the ground.

Many experts recommend that a new business owner have enough money on hand to survive at least a year without drawing a paycheck.

Bruce Schoenegge, a member of SCORE, a nationwide group of volunteer business counselors sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, says, “Startups need more resources than they initially think to survive.”

Bringhurst agrees.
“There are so many costs to starting a business, from computers to furniture to warehouse equipment to product to stock.”

New micro-business owners must realize that the most likely source of capital to start their ventures will be their own wallets. Even when the economy was booming, many banks wouldn’t make loans to businesses that were less than 3 years old. Now that the housing industry collapse has put so many lenders in financial difficulty, they’re even less willing to make business loans.
During the housing boom, many entrepreneurs took money out of their homes to finance a business startup. But the housing collapse has dried up that source of capital, too.

Equity investing through venture capitalists and private equity funds has also declined in the past several years.

So startups must depend on savings and on money they can raise from family and friends to launch their micro-businesses. They may not be able to raise as much capital as they could in good economic times. And that means they must show discipline in how they spend the money,

Schoenegge adds.
Some questions to ask about money: ■ Can this business be run from home? More than half of startups now begin in a garage or spare bedroom. If customers don’t have to come to your location, a home-based business can thrive while saving thousands of dollars in monthly rent. ■ Are there used office furniture stores and thrift stores in your community with desks, chairs, file cabinets and lamps to get your business started? ■ How much work can you do yourself, from building a Web site using simple inexpensive programs to setting up your financials on QuickBooks?

Choose Your Business Carefully The choice of business to start is important, but in ways that many people who have never owned a company might fail to consider.

Sure, these days you wouldn’t start a buggy whip manufacturing plant. But what about a variety store that attempts to sell something to everyone or a consulting practice that tries to solve every problem? Could those types of companies succeed today? Probably not.

“Small-business people need to specialize in order to succeed,” emphasizes Robin Noah, another SCORE member. “They think they can be all things to all people, but they can’t. They don’t have enough resources or experience.”

The good news is that in a recession, “there are plenty of niche holes that are not being filled because the current players are cutting back and don’t have the capital to take advantage of those gaps,” says Noelle Nitz, a business consultant in Orange County California.

Her own niche is serving as a chief financial officer for smaller companies that cannot afford a full-time employee.

Many would-be micro-business owners stumble because they don’t know how to identify a void in the market that is big enough and profitable enough for a new business.

Bringhurst recommends asking yourself a series of questions about a potential business before committing to starting it. Among the questions: ■ What is the demand for what you want to do or sell? ■ Why will people buy from you instead of your competitors? ■ Are there already 10 of the same type of business in your market? ■ If so, will you be able to offer something unique: price, service, product, quality or location?

Answering these kinds of questions shouldn’t stop once you’ve started up your business. Identifying and filling niche markets is an ongoing process that successful owners pay attention to throughout the life of their companies.

Identify Your Target Customer Those questions help identify a niche on the supply side of a business. The other half of the niche equation identifies the demand side—the target customer.
Many new micro-business owners try to provide everything to everyone. They’re afraid to say no to a potential client for fear they might not make enough money on which to live.
But business owners don’t have enough time, energy or marketing budget to reach every possible buyer. So rather than trying to satisfy every potential customer, owners are better off capturing the lion’s share of a narrowly targeted group of customers.

Of course, that target group can change over time. To compete for the long haul, business owners must keep their fingers on the pulse of customers and cater to their needs.
Tap Resources Fortunately today’s new micro-business owner can find valuable resources to help identify customers, access financing and answer every conceivable business question.
The NASE is a great place to find resources—for startup entrepreneurs as well as long-time business owners. Members save money with discounts on products and services. Consultants are available to answer your specific business questions. And the NASE even gives members access to capital through the NASE Business Development Grant program. You can explore all of the resources at www.NASE.org.

The Internet is a top-notch resource, too. Many communities and colleges have a Small-Business Development Center (SBDC), SCORE chapters, workshops, classes and books to answer most questions about starting a business.

And many existing business owners are willing to help newcomers avoid the mistakes they made in their startup years.

NASE Member Wiebe says, “I had never worked for myself prior to 2004. I integrated a tremendous amount of research, networking and asking questions, questions, questions all related not only to the professional aspect of my coaching business, but the basics of how to start my own business.

“I was very fortunate. For every person I had a conversation with, they were able and willing to share their experiences, challenges, what worked and what didn’t work,” says Wiebe.
As NASE Members know, navigating the waters of launching a new enterprise can be tricky. Issues range from the importance of an ethical foundation to the need to continually network.
Every owner makes mistakes when planning, starting and growing a new business. The difference between those who succeed and those who eventually close their doors is the ability to correct mistakes, to adjust and to move forward through tough times. The inflexible do not survive.

Finally, Wiebe recommends asking an established business owner to mentor you through the startup years or hire a business coach. He did and says, “It made all the difference in the world in terms of my professional and personal support.”

Jan Norman has interviewed thousands of business owners about their startup adventures and is author of “What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business” (Kaplan Business, 2004). Read her blog at http://ocregister.com/jan.

Taken from: Words Of Wisdom, Self-Employed Magazine, September/October 2009

http://www.nase.org/knowledgecenter/selfemployed/selfemployedcurrent/09-08-31/Words_Of_Wisdom.aspx

Myth-buster-cable-quality

2009-09-03T09:25:00.002-06:00

Common Myths About Cable Quality

Myth #1: Thicker is better

We’ve all heard this one… "This is a nice, thick cable. It must be good quality." Unfortunately, the apparent thickness of a cable really has very little to do with the quality of the cable. To a certain extent, it is true that thicker copper wires can generally carry a given signal (or electrical load) a little further than thinner wires, this is only true to a point. And a "thick cable" does not necessarily mean that the wires inside are any thicker; we’ve seen any number of "thick cables" with thin wires inside and thick outer jackets, giving a deceptive appearance without providing any benefit. Even when a particular cable is constructed with thicker wires, that is not always a guarantee that the signal quality will be any better.

Myth #2: Better materials means better quality

Most people are surprised to see this one on a list of myths. After all, common sense would clearly indicate that if you use better materials, you get a better quality cable, right? To a point, this is somewhat true. It is certainly true that poor quality materials can yield a poor quality cable. However, there is a point where, once the cable is doing what it is supposed to do, additional workmanship, better materials, or more "features" really do nothing to further improve the performance of the cable. Some manufacturers love to tout various "features" of their cables, features which, while certainly impressive-sounding, actually do nothing to improve the performance of a cable. One example that we often cite is silver-coated wires on a six-foot HDMI cable. Yes, it is certainly true that silver is a very fine conductor of electricity, but on a short cable like that, it offers no performance benefit over traditional copper-based cables.

Myth #3: A High-quality cable can "improve" performance

This is a myth perpetuated by consumers and manufacturers alike. They claim that a high quality cable will "improve" the signal of whatever device it is connected to. This is nonsense. Just as a chain is only as good as its weakest link, a cable can only transmit whatever it receives from the device. It cannot "improve" or "clean up" any data coming in to it. This myth probably gets reinforced because customers will buy a high-quality cable, plug it in, and see improvement. What this means is that the previous cable was not doing its job, and was degrading the signal. What the customer is now seeing is simply what he or she should have been seeing all along. In spite of this, there are manufacturers who will claim that their cable can improve the performance of a system. Some even go as far as to claim that their product will "clean up" a bad signal. Steer clear of these products; good cable engineering principles dictate that a cable should do one thing and only one thing: deliver the signal that it received, intact and without modification, to the other end.

(Note: there is one exception to this rule, but it is not a cable. Power surge protectors *do* have built-in electronics that allow them to "clean up" surges / spikes and electromagnetic interference that are commonplace in household electricity.)

Source: National Tech
----------
For great deals on well-made, high-quality CAT5E, HDMI, USB, CAT6, Apple, iPhone, iPod, and DVI cables, at a value price, check out http://www.whatacable.com/ - Order online and save!

Why are some HDMI Cables so expensive?

2009-07-22T17:39:00.001-06:00

Apple-iPhone-3GS–a-conversion-story

2009-07-02T13:19:00.002-06:00

Apple iPhone 3GS – A conversion story.

I have been a faithful Blackberry user for 6 years, since 2003. My first Blackberry was the 7200 series. It was a great solid phone that had email. That was what I had been searching for. No longer constantly turning on the computer and logging on just to see if I had missed an email. This was the end of my using a Palm for calendar and contacts. I had been a Palm user since 1997. I have enjoyed all the Blackberry devices and have converted many to the Blackberry. My most recent Blackberry was the Curve. It was a good device for contacts, email, calendar, and phone. It also had the QWERTY keyboard, which I really like.

Fast forward to 2009. What I have been wanting and needing more and more is the ability to get on the Internet from the phone, rather than turning on the computer and looking up an address, or checking facebook, or checking the weather. Waiting to start a computer or finding a place to connect is not always convenient, especially when you simply want to do something quick like check the weather forecast for tomorrow. T-Mobile has been dragging their feet to get a 3G network in Salt Lake City, and therefore the Blackberry just wasn’t cutting it anymore.

A couple months ago, I actually started looking at other phones. I asked everyone I saw with an iPhone how they liked it. If they were a former Blackberry user, asked if they missed the Blackberry. I was surprised at how much they liked their phones. I couldn’t find anyone who would go back. Could it be, after years of avoiding iTunes, iPods, and Apple all together, that I might succumb to buying an iPhone? I think it was inevitable. I checked out every available phone on the market, including the Google phone G1 and even looked at the new Palm Pre, which was to debut soon. But the new iPhone 3GS had more bang for buck than anything out there. But the dang cancellation fee at T-Mobile would be $200! Thus my iPhone 16GB 3GS phone would cost $400 total; $200 for the phone and $200 to cancel the T-Mobile contract. Those who know me would think that I’m way too cheap to do such a thing. But there I was in line at the AT&T store waiting for my new iPhone, surrounded by other geeks who had to get the new iPhone on the day it came out. I paid the money, and have not looked back.

Has there been a learning curve? Well, the only learning curve has been the keyboard (refer back to my love for the QWERTY keyboard). It is a “soft” keyboard, meaning there are no real keys, just on the screen. It has taken some getting used to, especially since I have big fingers. But, I’m adjusting very well, and have no regrets. The iPhone really is not a phone. It is a computer that happens to be very small and make phone calls. Everything else is very web-friendly, and almost elegant, with great speeds. I’m a convert, and am worried that many faithful Blackberry users will follow suit.

Until Next Time
The Cable Guy

starting-a-business-advice-how-to

2009-06-16T20:17:00.003-06:00

As a small business owner, I often have people ask me for advice on starting their own business. They are excited to purchase a web domain, get a website up, get a logo designed, print business cards and letter head, and lease an office, but they haven’t actually thought through the process of how this business will come together and what it will take to make a living.

There are a few things that I offer as advice to those thinking about the glory of being self-employed full-time.

How long can you survive without a paycheck? If married, is your spouse supportive of long hours with no pay? I have started two businesses as my full-time venture, and both required 6-12 months with no incoming salary. In other words, it took me almost a year to get to the point where I could afford myself as an employee. Both times I talked this through with my wife before going out on my own. There are so many costs to starting a business, from computers, to furniture, from warehouse equipment to the actual product to stock. Usually that alone will scare most of the starry eyed self-employed hopefuls away.

What is the demand for what you want to do or sell? If you want to start a carpet store, you need to answer this question. “Why will people buy from you instead of your competitors?” You need to know the competitive landscape. Are there already 10 other carpet stores in town? Will you be able to offer anything unique? Price, service, product, quality, or location? Is your product in demand?

Lastly, what makes you qualified for this business? Do you have any particular skill or knowledge that will help you to be successful? Are you going to sell direct in a retail store, through dealers and distributors, or online? If you like being a carpenter or a salesman, you may not enjoy actually running a business, because you will end up spending most of your time “running the business” rather than actually being a carpenter or getting out and selling. Ultimately, are you starting a business just for fun or do you think you will really enjoy running a business?

I think that all of these questions can be answered in some sort of business plan. It is very important before walking in and quitting your day job, to have answers to some of these basic questions nailed down. As part of this business plan you need to know: 1. Start up costs. 2. Money resources for those first 6-12 months during the time when you may not be able to pay yourself. 3. What the product or service is that you will sell. 4. Who are your competitors? 5. What are your competitive advantages? 6. What do you offer that your competitors do not? 7. How will you advertise and market your product? 8. Who will be your suppliers? 9. Who will be your customers? 10. How much will you need to sell per month in order for you to make a comfortable living?

These are lessons that I have learned from owning two businesses. The first one I started in 2001 with a colleague at work. We both had sales skills and had been in the industry for a number of years, so we knew that end of the business. But my business partner, who was a 50% owner, really only enjoyed sales, and ultimately did not enjoy owning and running the business. After 3 years, he decided that he wanted out. We ended up selling the business. I knew that I would eventually start another business because that is what I enjoyed. We are still friends. He is VP of sales for a company and I’m self-employed again. We’re both happier now doing what we love.

Professional Cable (www.professionalcable.com) has now been in business for over two years, and I love it. We manufacture and supply computer, network, fiber optic, and home theater cables to a number of markets and industries across the USA. Before opening my doors in 2007, I already had talked with many of my potential customers. I had already talked with my main suppliers and made them aware that I was going to start another business. I had a business plan, not for other people, not for investors, but just for myself so I could think through everything. I knew that I could be successful. But, even with so much in place, it still took 6 months before I could start paying myself a paycheck. Luckily I have a supportive wife.

Starting a business is not a venture for the weak of heart, but if you are prepared it can be extremely rewarding. I love to hear of other success stories of entrepreneurs who have gone out on their own. I have now been in the cable industry for 15 years. I’ve been selling computer cables since back before we were all using email and the Internet. I’m somewhat of an expert in the industry. This has been key to my success. But more than anything, my relations with both my suppliers and my customers have made it possible for me to be successful. Once I opened my doors for business, I had many customers start doing business with “me” not the company, because of our relations. It had nothing to do with “Professional Cable”. In business, the old adage is true, “Never burn a bridge”. Someday that person may be your supplier, your customer, or your boss. Your reputation will enable your success or hinder it.

History-of-Professional-Cable-Orem-Utah

2009-05-28T17:33:00.005-06:00

Jedidiah De N'importe Quoi was in search for gold as he headed west in 1836. What he found instead was lots of copper. He decided to stop making horse shoes because the competition was so great, and decided that he would make computer cables. He made all types, SCSI, Ethernet, CAT6, USB, FireWire, DVI and HDMI. Now these were crude versions of today's models, but none-the-less, they were better than any other computer cable in the western frontier.He would travel from town to town, selling his cables. Most cowboys would use them to tie up their horses. But he made a living at it. He ended up settling in Orem, Utah, mainly selling his computer cables to the trappers and Indians, who would use them to fish and catch animals.

Jedidiah's grandson, Samuel De N'importe Quoi, took over the business in 1900. He bought some machinery that automated the computer cable production. However, iron was so popular that he tried using iron connectors, which made the cables even less-useless for this time period. He would travel all over the western states selling his computer cables, mainly having success to fishermen who would use the iron cables as anchors for their boats.

Samuel's grandson Richie De N'importe Quoi decided that every home needed a computer cable, for it would not be long, a few short decades, until computers would be in every home. This of course was laughed at as people were busy buying a washing machine and television for their homes. Richie knew the day would come when cables would be in high demand. He had some success selling Ethernet cables to school kids because they could use them as a jump rope. Eventually the business was sold to a railroad which used the cables to tie down freight. Today every home does have a cable, just like Jedidiah, Samuel, and Richie De N'importe Quoi dreamed would happen.

The above history is of course fictional. However, had Professional Cable existed back during these time periods, it would have been extremely successful.

Google-G1-t-mobile-phone-review-good-or-not

2009-05-22T17:05:00.004-06:00

For the last decade or so a new fad has caught the minds and hearts of both the rising generation and the more experienced at life. What, may you ask, is this great new phenomenon? It’s the Cellular Phone, More commonly known as the cell phone. People used to live their whole lives tied to a phone that was stationary. With the invention of this great item it allowed people to be contacted anywhere. With the advances that have been made to cell phones people have started using these phones to run, or ruin?, their whole lives. The one in particular that caught my attention was the Google phone, otherwise known as the G1, through T-mobile. Since I started using it I have noticed some great things about it, and a few things that could be better. Here is what I have noticed.

First, the operating system itself is Linux based, referred to as android. While it has frozen once or twice it has not been nearly as troublesome as the mobile version of windows. The down side to this is that you have to find applications that will do the work that you would normally have Microsoft office mobile for. They are mostly available through the Android market, an application that comes with the phone for purchasing and downloading applications. Of these many different applications one of my favorite so far has been shop-savy. It utilizes the phones 3 mega-pixel camera to scan bar codes and search local stores and the Internet for the best prices of an item. Since this is a phone produced by Google it naturally has access to all the Google application that everyone uses including Google maps. Very handy if you’re the kinda person that needs directions and gets lost easily. Another thing I like about the phone is that it has a flip-up screen revealing the full keyboard underneath. Having this makes it much easier for texting. I mentioned before that it comes with a 3 mega-pixel camera, it’s pretty good for a camera-phone. It takes some pretty great pictures too. I’ve started using it as my main camera. It also works as a MP3 player, whoever make sure you have the right adapter for it so you can plug in your head phones, as the speaker, located in the center of the back, isn’t the greatest and could be better. For memory storage the phone relies on micro sd cards, which are becoming more and more common. Getting the music and videos, as well as other media that you would like to read, listen to, or watch, onto the phone does require a mini usb to usb connection cable. It does come with one but the cable its self is fairly short, I would suggest getting a longer one. Whatacable!.com is a great place to get them. The full touch screen is a nice feature to it as well, making it easy to navigate around the phone. If this isn’t your forte’ then the phone has a trackball mouse that works excellent too. For memory storage the phone relies on micro sd cards, which are becoming more and more common. Getting the music and videos, as well as other media that you would like to read, listen to, or watch, onto the phone does require a mini usb to usb connection cable. It does come with one but the cable its self is fairly short, I would suggest getting a longer one. If you lose one or need an extra Mini USB Cable Whatacable.com is a great place to get them. As well you can use a micro sd card adapter to plug the card into a card reader and transfer the dad that way, you would need to have a USB card reader for that though, which you can also get at WhataCable.com J charging the phone does require a mini-usb cable. Now if your like me you have limited usb ports with which to use on your computer. I run out very often trying to connect everything, my solution…a 7-Port USB hub, also available on WhataCable!

This phone may not be for everyone, but it has been my favorite phone that I have had to date. It is one that I would recommend to most anybody, the business professional or the general consumer. It's just a great phone.

(Written by: Guest Editor Z-Cable-Guy)

DVI-Splitter-how-to-have-simultaneous-display-multiplier

2009-05-08T16:07:00.002-06:00

Have you ever wondered how you can split your screen so that two monitors show the exact same thing? If you are looking for a video splitter, there are a few options on the market. You'll need to know what type of monitor you have. 1. VGA/SVGA 2. DVI or 3. HDMI.

1. For VGA or SVGA, you can go with a "Y" cable, that will split the signal. You can pick these up on WhataCable.com for about $12. This is good for short distances and if you have a good video card. For laptops or longer distances, I would recommend a powered splitter that will help to boost that analog signal. You can split it up to 8 monitors (8-way VGA splitter). This would be used in a classroom or like you see at an electronics store when all the TVs or monitors have the same image going. WhataCable.com has these powered VGA video splitters, or multipliers starting at about $22.

2. For DVI you can get a high-quality DVI "Y" cable splitter for about $17 from WhataCable. DVI is a digital signal as opposed to the analog signal of VGA or SVGA. DVI has a number of connections on the market which makes it confusing. Make sure on the female side that you get one that accepts all the pins that your DVI connection has. WhataCable! has one that will accept any DVI connection because it is in the DVI-I Dual Link female configuration.

3. For HDMI I only suggest going with a powered splitter. The reason is that DCP (digital content protection) will sometimes detect that you are splitting the signal with a "Y" cable and will shut the video off. This is really annoying and can be mostly avoided with a powered HDMI splitter box. WhataCable.com has them from $94 for a 2-way HDMI powered splitter. You can go all the way up to an 8-way splitter (multiplier) if you need to have a bunch of HDTVs displaying the same thing.

With all splitters, don't forget that you might need to purchase cables, because even with a two-way powered splitter, you'll need one cable from the computer to the splitter box, then one cable to each TV/monitor/projector. With the "Y" cable you'll only need one cable to each monitor/projector.

Until next time
The Cable Guy

Sound of Music Antwerp Belgium Central Station

2009-05-05T20:12:00.002-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k

CEO-of-Monster-Cable-Their-cables-aren’t-necessary

2009-05-02T19:37:00.002-06:00

CEO of Monster Cable says their cables aren’t necessary for today’s technology.

I’ve been telling people for years that HDMI certified cables from companies like WhataCable! are just as good as the expensive fancy packaged Monster Cables that you’ll find at Best Buy for $129 (8 feet length). However, some people just can’t believe that there will be no performance difference. I try to explain that if you have a 1” pipe at one end (Blu-ray player) and a 1” pipe at the other end (HDTV) and decide to run a 2” pipe in between (Monster Cable), you still only get the same amount of water that you would with the 1” pipe, because the limitation is wherever there is the smallest pipe. In other words if you have a 1080p HDMI 1.3V Blu-ray player and a 1080p HDMI 1.3V HDTV, as long as you have a cable that meets those specifications, 1080p and HDMI 1.3V compliant, there is no need to go above and beyond those specifications.

When asked if you really need a Monster Cable for today’s technology, Monster Cable CEO Noel Lee said, “Do you need the high performance (Monster) cable today? Probably not. But with bigger displays and 3-D TVs coming down the pike, you will, eventually.” (USA Today, April 28, 2009 Page 6B) Are you kidding me? You are asking people to buy cables for technology 3 years down the road when we don’t even know what the specs. are going to be 3 years down the road. In 1999 maybe I should have been selling super high-quality parallel printer cables for the future 2002 parallel printer technology. But, oops. By 2002 everyone was using USB for their printers. Yeah, that makes sense.

So there you have it. You don’t need a Monster Cable for today’s technology. This is what I’ve been telling people for the past few years. HDMI cables, like the ones that are found at places like WhataCable.com meet the HDMI 1080p 1.3V standards, which is what all the electronics out on the market require. However, the sales rep. at Best Buy will tell you that you need the $129, 6-8 feet Monster Cable, because it is even better than what the HDMI specs. require. Well, that might be true, but if you put high performance racing tires on a VW bug, you still have a VW bug. It won’t make your Blu-ray or HDTV perform any better than the technology that is in them.

Other bloggers feel the same way. Joshua Topolsky, editor-in-chief of tech blog Engadget says “You buy a new cable with the new TV – not three years ahead of time.” And the fact is, I guarantee that in three years if we have higher demands and new HDMI requirements, Monster Cable (and the sales guy at Best Buy) will be telling you that your 3-year old Monster Cable is no longer sufficient for today’s high demands and you’ll need to buy a new cable. Speaking of huge profits the Monster Cables at Best Buy provide, Richard Doherty an independent analyst at Envisioneering Group said, “(Monster) Cables are enjoying percentages consumers would scream about if they knew the markup on them.” He goes on to say, “Monster used higher-quality products in the analog era to give you better sound, but as things went digital, it either works or it doesn’t. Now there’s an awful lot of $15 cables out there which would give you the exact same performance as Monster Cable.”

But despite the evidence, people every day across the nation are gladly paying the $129 for the feet Monster HDMI cable at Best Buy. I guess if they’ve just thrown down $3,000 for a TV, it makes them feel good to buy the fancy packaged cable.

So how big is Monster Cable? The Oakland Tribune recently cited Monster’s yearly sales at $100 million, but Monster Spokesman Daniel Graham says that’s “Way too low.”

It goes to show you that marketing works. People have been told for so long that they need a Monster Cable for high performance, that they believe the message.

Please save yourself some money and give the cables at WhataCable! a try. They back them with a limited Lifetime Warranty. They have supplied thousands of HDMI cables to professionals installing million dollar home theaters. Yet it continues to be the do-it-yourselfer who will pay the big bucks for the Monster Cables, because they don’t know better. I guaranty the professionals aren’t running Monster Cables on their jobs, especially in the media closets where nobody can see them.

Until Next Time
The Cable Guy

Mini-displayport-dp-to-DVI-for-apple-display-port

2009-04-24T16:16:00.004-06:00

WhataCable! now has the hard-to-find Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapters in stock for the new Apple computers.

The new MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air each have a Mini DisplayPort that allows you to connect an external display or projector using an adapter. However, the adapter has been hard to find, and is expensive if you purchase directly from Apple.

You can use an external display as your main workspace or to extend your desktop, or you can work in mirrored mode with a projector so you can view what your audience sees.

Use new WhataCable! Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter to connect an advanced digital monitor, an HDTV, projectors, or other DVI displays. You'll need to review the documentation or check with the manufacturer of your monitor or TV to make sure you're choosing the right adapter.

This is only compatible only with MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air with Mini DisplayPort.

The Mini-DisplayPort can support up to a 30-inch widescreen display and is designed to be fully compatible with DVI, but you'll need the adapter. The Mini DisplayPort is just 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector so it saves a lot of valuable space on the computer.

From WikiPedia:

"DisplayPort is a digital display interface standard (approved May 2006, current version 1.1 approved on April 2, 2007) put forth by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It defines a new license-free, royalty-free, digital audio/video interconnect, intended to be used primarily between a computer and its display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater system."DisplayPort has an advantage over HDMI because there aren't those royalties which will make it easier and less expensive to implement (For example, the HDMI royalty is 4 cents per device). DisplayPort’s largest supporters are HP and Dell which have already released computers and monitors that support Display Port and HDMI.

Check out WhataCable.com for all of your mini DisplayPort DP adapter needs.

http://www.whatacable.com/

Orders ship the same day and they have low prices.

Until Next Time

The Cable Guy

Mini-DisplayPort-DP-to-HDMI-for-Apple

2009-04-22T16:45:00.004-06:00

WhataCable! now has stock on the hard-to-find Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapters for the new Apple computers.

The new MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air each have a Mini DisplayPort that allows you to connect an external display or projector using an adapter. However, the adapter has been hard to find, and is expensive if you purchase directly from Apple.

You can use an external display as your main workspace or to extend your desktop, or you can work in mirrored mode with a projector so you can view what your audience sees.

Use new WhataCable! Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter to connect an advanced digital monitor, an HDTV, or other HDMI display. You'll need to review the documentation or check with the manufacturer of your monitor or TV to make sure you're choosing the right adapter.

This is only compatible only with MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air with Mini DisplayPort.

The Mini-DisplayPort can support up to a 30-inch widescreen display and is designed to be fully compatible with HDMI, but you'll need the adapter. The Mini DisplayPort is just 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector so it saves a lot of valuable space on the computer.

From WikiPedia:

"DisplayPort is a digital display interface standard (approved May 2006, current version 1.1 approved on April 2, 2007) put forth by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It defines a new license-free, royalty-free, digital audio/video interconnect, intended to be used primarily between a computer and its display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater system."

DisplayPort has an advantage over HDMI because there aren't those royalties which will make it easier and less expensive to implement (For example, the HDMI royalty is 4 cents per device). DisplayPort’s largest supporters are HP and Dell which have already released computers and monitors that support DisplayPort and HDMI.

Check out WhataCable.com for all of your mini DisplayPort DP adapter needs. http://www.whatacable.com/ Orders ship the same day and they have low prices.

Until Next Time
The Cable Guy

A must watch - Daniel Hannan, Conservative MEP for South East England, gives a speech during Gordon Brown´s visit to the European Parliament

2009-03-26T15:19:00.001-06:00

HDMI-Category-2-high-speed-cable

2009-03-17T11:49:00.002-06:00

Dear Tech Support

I want to know if your cables are "High Speed". Are they Category 2 HDMI? You also mention "Up To" 10.2Gbps and "supports high-bandwidth" and "deep clolor". Are these cables Category 2 and tested to perform at speeds of 340Mhz?

Thanks

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Re: High Speed Category 2 HDMI Cables

Thank you for contacting us.

Our cables are 1080p compliant which is synonymous with Category 2 “High Speed”, so yes they are indeed CAT2 High-speed.

Recently, HDMI Licensing, LLC announced that cables would be tested as Standard or High-Speed cables.

Standard (or “category 1”) cables have been tested to perform at speeds of 75Mhz, which is the equivalent of a 1080i signal.

High Speed (or “category 2”) cables have been tested to perform at speeds of 340Mhz, which is the highest bandwidth currently available over an HDMI cable and can successfully handle 1080p signals including those at increased color depths and/or increased refresh rates. High-Speed cables are also able to accommodate higher resolution displays, such as WQXGA cinema monitors (resolution of 2560 x 1600).

The HDMI cables you purchase at www.whatacable.com are all High-Speed Category 2 1080p compliant.

Thank you
The Cable Guy

PCMCIA-to-ExpressCard-Express-Card-adapter-converter

2009-03-16T09:02:00.003-06:00

Dear Tech Support:

I need a converter that will take an older PCMCIA cardbus card and either convert it to a USB 2.0 device or an express card slot.

I found this adapter but am not sure if it is what I need or is the opposite.
http://www.whatacable.com/pcmcia-to-express-card-converter-utah.aspx

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Re: PCMCIA to ExpressCard adapter

Thank you for contacting us.

This adapter does the opposite of what you need. This adapter converts an older PCMCIA slot to the newer ExpressCard slot so that you can put an Express Card into an older laptop.

I know that Duel Systems manufactures an ExpresCard to PCMCIA adapter. http://www.duel-systemsadapters.com/?productid=DP-0001 This seems to be a stable converter. The PCMCI to USB converters are not stable and have a high failure rate. I would stay away from them.

The WhataCable! adapter/converter does the opposite of what you need. This adapter converts an older PCMCIA slot to the newer ExpressCard slot so that you can put an Express Card into an older laptop.

Thanks

The Cable Guy

Display-Port-DP-Adapters-HDMI-DVI-Cables

2009-03-13T15:44:00.006-06:00

So there's a new cable on the block. I know, I know. For those of you that have a cable phobia, that is the last thing that you want to hear. But, like it or not, you need to get familiar with Display Port (DP) cables.

Display Port is a new technology along the lines of USB and HDMI, and can be found on Dell laptop computers as well as other devices. It is used for a display output - like a DVI, VGA, or HDMI. It is a high-quality digital signal, along the lines of HDMI, and can carry data, along the lines of USB for smart communication between devices and the computer.

Here is the official website: http://www.displayport.org/

And here is their logo

Yes, it looks like HDMI and USB, so there will be confusion. Here is an image of the connector:

You can buy adapters that go from DP to HDMI and from DP to DVI. Find them at http://www.whatacable.com/

DP supports all the latest graphics requirements and is much smaller than the DVI connector and there are no pins to break like on the VGA connector. The real question is, "Will it compete well with the HDMI connection that is now also being found on laptop computers and is the dominant connection on HDTVs?" It's a hard sell, but there are some big names backing the DP technology, so for us cable companies, we get to sell lots of cross-technology adapters.

To make things more confusing, can you guess who has their own DP that is different from the standard DP? Yeah, of course. Apple is using a "mini-display-port". The Mini-DP was first publicly announced Oct. 14, 2008. It is better than the Mini-DVI that has been a common display connector on Apple computers, but the Mini-DP will handle resolutions up to 2560x1600, commonly used with 30-inch displays.

HDMI is the de facto standard for high-resolution displays and HDTVs. Do we need both? Or will one go the way of the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD?

According to Brian O’Rourke, principal analyst for In-Stat, although manufacturers will ship limited amounts of DisplayPort-enabled products during 2008, shipments will grow to more than 600 million units in 2012.

There is a great article going more in detail on the technical differences, so I won't re-hash it all. I'll just point you to it. http://www.edn.com/article/CA6594089.html

So just as HDMI looked like it might bridge the gap between PCs and Consumer Electronics, the DP might become the de facto PC display connection by 2012, replacing the VGA and DVI ports. This is good news because more and more people are using their PC to watch TV, and the Analog VGA connection is not compatible with the Digital HDMI signal (although you can find converter boxes from VGA to HDMI). It looks like the the battle royale is about to begin, and we may just end up with both technologies on each PC. Apple... well they'll do whatever they want.

Until next time

The Cable Guy

The-skinny-on-home-theaters-hdmi-plasma-tv

2009-02-04T16:48:00.003-07:00

Here is a good article on Home Theaters and the lingo:

Home Theater

What is Home Theater? Since the mid- to late-1990s, home theater systems have rapidly grown in popularity, as consumers have looked for ways to enjoy movies at home the same way they do in traditional movie theaters. With the advent of DVD and Blu-ray players, having true at-home theater-quality sound and video has now become a reality. This technical article will help explain what a home theater is.

So what exactly is home theater? A home theater system enables you to reproduce the sound and video quality of a commercial movie theater in your own living room. Prices for home theater systems can be as low as a few hundred dollars or up into the tens of thousands of dollars. Fortunately, creating a home theater of your own requires only a few components. A basic home theater system consists of a television, a DVD or Blu-ray player, an A/V receiver that supports surround sound, and five speakers.

What do you need for a Home Theater system? What devices/components are needed for a home theater system? The most basic components for a home theater system would consist of a video display (a standard TV, a plasma or LCD TV, a projector, etc), a surround sound A/V receiver, and a video source (DVD or Blu-ray player, cable or satellite box). When creating more elaborate home. When it comes to how many speakers? What kind of speakers? There are many different options. The most basic setup would have five speakers: 2 front speakers (left and right), a center channel, and 2 rear speakers (left and right). Higher end speaker setups would consist of up to 9 speakers: 2 front speakers (left and right), a center channel, 2 mid-rear speakers (left and right), 2 rear speakers (left and right), a center rear channel, and a subwoofer.

How do I hook up a Home Theater system? Hooking up a Home Theater system is a lot easier than it sounds. The fundamental rule when connecting the components together is that all the cables are connected, OUT to IN. The sound or the video signal will transfer OUT of a device, a DVD or Blu-ray player, CD player, VCR etc., and IN to another, surround sound receiver or a video display. How you hook up your system will depend on the selection of inputs/outputs your device has. Here are some diagrams on how to connect the components together. High-end home theaters are installed by professional home-theater installers. Please contact us (sales@whatacable.com) and we can refer you to one of our dealer partners.

Glossary of Industry Terms

5.1 Surround Sound - See Dolby Digital (AC-3) and DTS (Digital Theater Sound). It would incorporate speakers: FR, CC, FL, RR, RL and the Subwoofer.

6.1 Surround Sound - This sound field is used with new media such as THX Surround EX and DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix. It utilizes a rear speaker that is located directly behind the seating area (CRC). It would incorporate speakers: FR, CC, FL, RR, CRC, RL and the Subwoofer.

7.1 Surround Sound - This is typically a receiver/amp manufacturer's proprietary surround sound field to fill in the two new back surround channel speakers. It would incorporate speakers: FR, CC, FL, MRR, MRL, RR, RL and the Subwoofer.

Dolby Pro-Logic - This is the surround sound "standard" format from the 1990's. It is still used today for VCR's and standard Cable TV due to the limitation that they can only output analog. It consists of five speakers plus a subwoofer, however, only has three discrete channels: Front Left, Front Right and both rears acting as one channel. The center channel output the combined audio from the Front Left and Front Right speakers.

Dolby Digital (AC-3) - Dolby Digital is a 5.1 surround sound setup. It consists of five discrete speakers (5) plus a subwoofer (.1). The ".1" from 5.1 is a certain LFE (Low Frequency Effects) signal designed for a powered subwoofer which will deliver the thump and the boom from movies. A complete Dolby Digital signal outputs a frequency range of 20Hz to 20,000Hz, the subwoofer will output only 20Hz to 120Hz.

DTS (Digital Theater Sound) - Another digital surround sound format, similar to Dolby Digital. It is a competing format to Dolby Digital which was released about a year after. DTS (Digital Theater System) is a 5.1 surround sound setup. It consists of five discrete speakers (5) plus a subwoofer (.1). The ".1" from 5.1 is a certain LFE (Low Frequency Effects) signal designed for a powered subwoofer which will deliver the thump and the boom from movies. A complete Dolby Digital signal outputs a frequency range of 20Hz to 20,000Hz, the subwoofer will output only 20Hz to 120Hz.

HDMI - HDMI cables, also known as High-Definition Multimedia Interface, not only transmit video, but audio as well. HDMI is the next generation for connecting audio/video devices together. HDMI cables are used with high definition devices such as blu-ray players and game systems.

Optical - Optical (Toslink) cables use a beam of light to transmit high quality sound with nearly zero quality loss.

Digital Coax - Digital coax cables uses an RCA cable to transmit high quality digital surround sound.

Component Video - Component video cables connect video devices together, typically used with DVD Players, HDTV set-top converters, and even some games systems. It utilizes three separate RCA connections which transmit in an RGB (Red, Green and Blue) format. It will deliver the highest picture quality from an analog source.

Composite Video - Composite Video Cables are the most basic connection between video devices. It is used with DVD Players, VCR's, TV's, Cable Boxes, etc… It consists of a single "Yellow" RCA cable.

Line Level Signal - Line Level Cables are a single RCA Cable, or a non-amplified signal usually connecting a receiver/amp to the Powered Subwoofer. This signal is transmitted using an RCA cable.

Low Frequency Effects (LFE) - This refers to the low frequencies that a subwoofer will play from many movies, typically a range of 20Hz - 120Hz. In a digital surround sound environment it will deliver the ".1" that you would see from 5.1, 6.1 etc… When you see an explosion in a movie the speakers will allow you to hear it but the subwoofer, outputting the LFE's, will allow you to "feel" it.

Monitor/TV Out - The video output from the receiver/amp directly to the TV. This connection will output the video signal from the source that has been selected on the receiver/amp. The Monitor/TV Out are Composite Video, S-Video or Component Video outputs.

S-Video - This connection outputs a high picture quality from DVD's, SVHS VCR's, Digital Satellite Boxes, Digital Camcorders, etc. S-Video is a much higher quality format when compared to composite video, but is becoming obsolete with the popularity of component and HDMI video.

Until Next Time!
The Cable Guy
http://www.whatacable.com/

Courtesy of National Technology

Coax-what-is-it-cable-orem-utah-provo-salt-lake-city-coaxial

2008-12-30T09:10:00.005-07:00

As a cable guy, I read up on industry related technology. I read this article recently and thought it was very informative so I'd share it on the blog.

Coaxial Cables

Many consumers, when they think of "coax cables," tend to think it refers only to the cabling used by cable and satellite companies for cable TV. However, this is only one example of coaxial cable. In this article we will breakdown what makes up a typical coaxial cable as well as go over a few common types.

Coax cable is defined as any cable with the following properties:

A center conductor
Insulation covering the center conductor, called a "dieletric"
A braided shield surrounding the dieletric
An optional foil shield
An outer jacket

Each of these components plays a specific role. Let's take a look at each in more detail:

Center Conductor:
At the heart of a coaxial cable is a center conductor. Typically constructed of either pure copper (in higher-end cables) or copper-coated steel or aluminum (in less-expensive cables), the center conductor is responsible for transmitting the cable's signal. As such, it must meet certain electrical properties (such as wire resistance). The rest of the cable construction is primarily designed to help the center conductor maintain its electrical integrity.

Dielectric Insulator:
The dielectric insulator's purpose is two-fold; first, it acts as an insulator between the center conductor and the outer braided / foil shielding. Second, it helps physically hold the center conductor in the center of the cable. This is important, as signal loss can occur if the center conductor strays too close to the outer area of the cable. Various materials are commonly used for the dielectric. A few of the more common materials, in order of quality (from best to worst), are below:

Foamed Polyethylene (FPE)
Teflon
Polyethylene (PE)
Polypropylene (PP)
Polyvinylchloride (PVC)

When reading specifications on coaxial cables, you may see references to the dialetric constant. The closer this number is to 1.0, the better. Foamed Polyethylene (FPE), for example, generally has a dielectric constant somewhere around 1.5, while PVC's dialetric constant is around 3.0 to 4.0. (Foamed PE basically uses gas, often nitrogen, to create gas bubbles in the material to lower the dielectric constant. Marketing literature that refers to "gas-injected dielectric" usually indicates the use of FPE. It is one of the best dielectric materials in common use.)

Braided Shield:
Long copper cables have a tendency to act like antennas, picking up stray signals from the environment. These unwanted signals, known as "interference", disrupt the signal that the cable is supposed to be carrying. Interference tends to come in two different flavors: electromagnetic interference (known as EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). EMI interference is often caused by heavy power lines, cell phone signals, etc. A braided shield protects the signal from EMI interference.

When looking at cable specs, the braided shield will often be expressed in a percent coverage, which often ranges anywhere from 30% to 95% coverage. The higher the coverage, the better the protection.

Foil Shield:
Although not always present on coaxial cables, the foil shield serves to protect from RFI interference. Foil shields are almost always made out of aluminum foil, and simply wrap around the inner parts of the cable. Unlike braided shields, which have a percent coverage, foil shields always cover 100%.

Outer Jacket:
The outer jacket is generally made out of flexible PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and serves primarily to hold the cable together and protect it from the elements.

Connectors

There are many different connectors that can terminate a coaxial cable. We will now go over a few of the more common connectors.

RCA
The RCA connector was developed in the early '40s by the Radio Corporation of America to connect record players to amplifiers. The same basic connector is still in wide use today, and it represents a large portion of the connectors used for home theater cables. The fact that they are so easy to connect and disconnect makes RCA connectors a popular choice for home theater applications. RCA Cables can be used for audio, video and digital audio.
The biggest drawback with RCA devices is that each signal is sent on a different cable. For example, a single RCA-terminated coax cable only carries the left audio channel, or only the right, etc. Three RCA cables are needed for high-def video, along with two more for the audio. This makes for a mess of cables behind your equipment. This is one reason that has made HDMI Cables so popular.
Attaching RCA connectors can be a bit more time-consuming as, with some types of RCA connectors, the coaxial cable's wires need to be soldered to the connector after stripping the cable with a stripping tool. RCA Connectors come in solder-on, weatherproof and compression styles. A special tool is required for compression connectors, and a soldering iron is needed for solder-on connectors

BNC
The BNC connector has two bumps on the female side that slide into corresponding grooves on the male side. The connector is then rotated a quarter turn to lock into place. BNC Connectors are widely used in commercial applications such as closed circuit television systems, where its ability to lock in place (unlike the slip-on RCA) makes BNC Cables a perfect fit. BNC connectors come in a wide variety as well, including twist-on and weatherproof connectors.

F-Pin

The F-PIN CONNECTOR is probably the most recognized of the coaxial connectors as it's been in use with televisions and VCRs for decades. The familiar threaded connector makes for a secure connection that will not easily slip out of a device. This connector is also one of the easiest to attach to a coax cable as it does not require any soldering. Many different types are available including twist-on, crimp-on and compression. For outdoor use, weatherproof connectors are also available to create an F-PIN CABLE with a secure connection and loss-less signal transfer

Many manufacturers are doing away with the F-pin connector on their TVs. This is because that little F-pin connector is actually part of a device called a tuner. The tuner is what sifts through the signal coming through the cable and separates all of the TV channels. Since so many people change channels using a cable box or satellite receiver, these tuners are becoming obsolete. This can pose a problem for folks who have standard cable TV that still requires the TV to have an F-pin connector. Unfortunately, a small adapter or special cable won't do the trick. A tuner is required. There are a couple ways to do this. One way is to use an old VCR. VCRs have built in tuners. The other way is to use a device called an RF Demodulator. A demodulator is essentially a TV tuner that will let you change the channels.

Crimp-on, solder or twist-on?
There are 3 main styles of each connector available on the market. With each of these styles the coaxial cable must be stripped in such a way that a portion of each component of the cable is exposed:

Crimp: This encompasses compression as well as crimping connectors. Crimping connectors slide onto the cable and then pinche the base of the connector onto the outer jacket. The compression connectors require a special tool to press the cable into the connector and pinch it all at the same time. Weatherproof connectors are most often compression style, where the connector seals to keep water out.
Solder:This style, like its name implies, requires the center conductor and the braided shield to be soldered to parts of the connector. These offer the best connection, but are more labor-intensive to install.
Twist-on:These are for the consumer that just wants a quick and easy solution. Especially handy if you are only trying to fix a single broken cable, these don't require any solder or tools. Simply twist the connector onto the cable and you're done. They're not the best for durability, but they get the job done.

Types of Coaxial Cable

RG58
Largely used in the commercial security camera industry, RG58 cable is a low profile, inexpensive choice for large projects where a high-bandwidth cable is not needed. Most often terminated with BNC connectors, this type of cable can also be found attached to testing equipment and 2-way radio systems.

RG59
Once the standard for cable TV, RG59 cables are still found packaged with VCRs and televisions. RG59 was a good low-cost option for cable TV for years until the cable industry recently began its move into digital cable television, which needs a thicker cable. Modern satellite television also requires a higher-bandwidth-capable cable and so RG6 coaxial cable is becoming much more popular, making RG59 no longer the industry standard.

RG6
RG6 cable is differentiated from RG59 cable by having a thicker copper center conductor. RG6 is primarily being used today for satellite and digital cable TV, where higher frequencies are required that RG59 cable cannot support. RG6 cable is most often sold with F-pin connectors for cable or satellite applications.

Courtesy of National Technology

----

Until Next Time

The Cable Guy

HDMI-cable-utah-provo-ut-orem-salt-lake-city-slc-cables

2008-12-24T11:47:00.003-07:00

Where can you find an HDMI Cable at a discount price? This is what many consumers are saying. I hear this all the time. "The retail stores are tying to sell me an HDMI cable for $90!" Well, no need to fear, WhataCable.com is here! WhataCable has a huge inventory of HDMI cables at factory direct pricing. Do not spend your hard earned money, especially in the poor economy, on a fancy packaged HDMI cable, when you can get a high-quality, HDMI 1.3V, 1080p compliant cable for a fraction of the cost. For example, a 6 feet HDMI cable from WhataCable in Orem, Utah is only $12.99. Can you believe it? The other question I hear all the time is, "Well then what is the difference between the WhataCable $12.99 HDMI cable and the one at the retail store where I bought my TV? There must be a difference because they were asking $90 for it!" Well, yes there is a difference. (They shake their head, because they knew there must have been a difference) The difference is about $77. That's $77 in your pocket. "How can it be?" Well, the retail stores are buying the fancy packaged expensive HDMI cables at Monster prices. I mean those prices are huge, like a... like a... monster! And those prices are scary.... like a... like a... what's the word? Oh yeah, a MONSTER! So stay away from scary and huge prices. What-a-Cable is friendly, and very un-monsterish. WhataCable! backs up every cable with a lifetime warranty. You deal with a small-business, sometimes directly with the owner. You get a high-quality HDMI certified cable, that is 1080p compliant (that is what you want, yes, even for blu-ray). You don't need the fancy cable. I don't care what the sales person told you. They get a kick-back for every fancy-packaged-expensive-cable they sell, so sure they'll tell you the world will stop spinning if you connect any other cable to your new blu-ray or plasma TV. They want their piece of that monster price in their greedy little pocket.

If I haven't' convinced you yet, just go down and visit WhataCable! They have a showroom and they can show you their cables and explain how you will get exactly the same beautiful image from your blu-ray, at the same amazing 1080p resolution, with the high-quality WhataCable! HDMI cable, as you will with any other cable on the market. HDMI sets the standards, and WhataCable cables comply to their specifications. What-a-Cable is located in the heart of Utah County, in Orem and it's easy to get to. Take the Center Street exit off of I-15. It's just west of the freeway off of Center Street at 77 South Mountain Way Drive, Orem, UT 84058. They are open Mon-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. You'll be glad you went by. http://www.whatacable.com/

Until Next Time -
The Cable Guy

Displayport-to-DVI-display-port-dp-cable-adapter-converter

2008-12-24T11:35:00.003-07:00

So you have one of those funky Displayport connectors on your Dell computer. You've been told how great it is and that you can get 1080p resolution, but you can't find a monitor with the display-port (DP) to connect it. Well, WhataCable! in Orem, Utah just next to Provo, and close to Salt Lake City, has adapters in stock that will convert the DP to a DVI cable. http://www.whatacable.com/ You can order them online for about $15, or you can go to their office /showroom directly and pick them up at will call. They are located at 77 South Mountain Way Drive in Orem, UT. That is just west of I-15 off of Center Street. WhataCable! also carries a huge selection of DVI cables. A DVI cable in Utah will cost you anywhere from $40 to $80 at a retail store. WhataCable will save you a ton of money. Buy factory-direct from www.whatacable.copm and keep the extra change. A 10 Feet DVI fromWhataCable will cost you about $14. So with a 10' DVI cable, and the Displayport to DVI adapter, you're out the door for under $30 plus tax, which is still less than you'd pay for just the DVI cable down the street at any of the retail stores. Keep WhataCable in mind for all your cable needs and tell a friend. Friends don't let friends buy cables from the big retail stores!

Until next time -

The Cable Guy

Display-port-to-HDMI-DP-displayport-adapter-converter-cable

2008-12-24T11:26:00.004-07:00

So you have one of those funky Displayport connectors on your Dell computer. You've been told how great it is and that you can get 1080p resolution, but you can't find a monitor with the display-port (DP) to connect it. Well, WhataCable! in Orem, Utah just next to Provo, and close to Salt Lake City, has adapters in stock that will convert the DP to an HDMI cable. www.whatacable.com You can order them online for about $15, or you can go to their office /showroom directly and pick them up at will call. They are located at 77 South Mountain Way Drive in Orem, UT. That is just west of I-15 off of Center Street. WhataCable! also carries a huge selection of HDMI cables. An HDMI cable in Utah will cost you anywhere from $70 to $100 at a retail store. WhataCable will save you a ton of money. Buy factory direct and keep the extra change. A 10 Feet HDMI from WhataCable will cost you about $15. So with a 10' HDMI cable, and the Displayport to HDMI adapter, you're out the door for $30 plus tax, which is still less than you'd pay for just the HDMI cable down the street at any of the retail stores. Keep WhataCable in mind for all your cable needs and tell a friend. Friends don't let friends buy cables from the big retail stores!

Until Next Time

The Cable Guy

United-Auto-Union-bail-or-jail?

2008-12-12T19:48:00.003-07:00

Are we seriously thinking of handing billions of dollars to the big 3 automotive manufacturers? Isn't this just perpetuating the real problem with the U.S. auto industry? The problem with the U.S. auto industry, i.e. GM, Ford, & Chrysler is not the quality, though it may have been in the past. The problem is not the designs. Chrysler has been extremely innovative. Ford has brought the love of the muscle car back with its retro-Mustang. The U.S. is the world leader in trucks. Blue collar America goes to work every day in a pick-up. I own a 1969 Chevy pick up and I love it. So then the problem with the U.S. auto industry is just all about gas mileage right? Not even. Again, we are a leader in Hybrid and Electric cars. GM has made huge strides here. The real problem? Well, the dirty secret that nobody wants to tackle, including congress and the president, is the United Auto Workers. (The UAW). Yes, the union is our worst enemy. We have these unions that bully the company into paying ridiculous wages that are not in line with the job skills and make us uncompetitive in a world market. Back when every car on the road was American made, the unions could set the false wage, and the playing field was level. Now, who makes the best and least expensive cars? Japan? Korea? Germany? China? You name it. Wherever there is no UAW union dictating what a company should pay its people. So they are more competitive because the wages are really low in other countries right? Wrong. Cars are being built in America and these people who are Americans make good wages building them. But these foreign owned auto makers are not forced mafia-style into paying wages that are out of line with the current market and economy.

So let's bail out the poor auto industry and ignore the real problem.... Sounds great. Maybe with that bail out money, we'll increase the wages even more. Pad the retirements. All that instead of putting money where we need to, into R&D. We could easily out-build the foreign auto-makers, make cooler cars, that are extremely dependable, and fuel-efficient, if the friggin UAW union would just be outlawed. They should be put in jail for fraud. They are an antiquated organization that needs to be banned from our capitalist country (what's not been socialized) and allow good old American entrepreneurs and companies to thrive without jumping through all the hoops and red tape that unions create.

Until next time
The Union-free Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Expresscard-to-DB9-RS232-serial-PCMCIA-Express-Card

2008-11-11T15:17:00.003-07:00

Tech support email to the Cable Guy:

Cable Guy,

I have an IBM laptop that is running on Windows XP, but it does not have a DB9 RS232 Serial Port. Is there an adapter of some sort that will allow me to connect a serial cable to my Express Card slot or USB?

Help!
Sleepless and serial-less in Seattle
-----

Dear sleepless and serial-less in Seattle,

Yes! There are a couple ways that you can connect your serial devices to your laptop. My preferred way is through the Expresscard slot. You can pick up a converter for $20 from WhataCable! Item # EXP-DB9 Click here With this adapter you simply plug in the Expresscard to the Express-card slot, and there is a DB9 cable that attaches to the ExpressCard. A CD with drivers comes with it. It is really easy to use and works with most systems. (It does not work with Mac/Apple, but what does?)

The other option is more common, but less stable. It is a USB to Serial adapter / converter. WhataCable! carries this for about $15. Item # USBM-DB9M-01 click here. This adapter plugs into the USB port and the other side is a DB9 RS232 connector. The drawbacks with this solution is that it takes one of your USB ports, and if you're like me, you always seem to need more USB ports than you have. Also, the device that you are connecting needs to be supported by USB.

Everything considered, I like the Expresscard to RS232 DB9 converter the best. But either way, you can connect what you need, despite IBM and the other laptop manufacturers discontinuing the wonderful DB9 RS232 port.

Until Next Time -
The Cable Guy

www.professionalcable.com

pc-to-tv-converter-wireless-or-wired?

2008-11-05T23:05:00.002-07:00

Have you ever wanted to watch a video on your TV using your PC (including laptop, notebook, mac, mabcook, etc.) But, how do you connect your PC that has a VGA 15 pin connector to your TV that has an RCA Composite, Component, or SVIDEO input? Can you convert that VGA signal to a TV connection? You can find the solution at WhataCable! www.whatacable.com has a wireless and wired solution for watching your PC on your TV.

Which one is best? Well, if you are concerned about price, you’ll want to go with the PC-TV-1 wired version. The wired version works flawlessly. I like to watch episodes of The Office on Hulu.com. But, you can also play computer games, run PowerPoint presentations, or do a slide show of your favorite photos all on your TV. You’ll pay $56.99 for this version.

Don’t want wires running across your TV room? Check out the WI-PCTV wireless version from WhataCable!. It will set you back $119.99, but with 2.4 GHz transmission, it really works well. The only thing that might cause some interference is a wireless network. If you are worried about it, you can always go with the version that uses cables. WhataCable! carries both versions and have had good success with both.

Now sit back, enjoy a video, play a game, or share your photos on your sweet TV screen, instead of gathering around the 15” laptop screen.

Until Next Time
The Cable Guy

Everything-you-need-to-know-to-vote

2008-10-23T00:46:00.001-06:00

Frequently-Asked-Questions-HDMI-1.3-Utah-Cable

2008-10-08T00:59:00.002-06:00

Frequently Asked Questions about HDMI v1.3

Q: So what is HDMI?

Well, as defined on www.hdmi.org: “HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first and only industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. By delivering crystal-clear, all-digital audio and video via a single cable, HDMI™ dramatically simplifies cabling and helps provide consumers with the highest-quality home theater experience. HDMI™ provides an interface between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, or A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV), over a single cable. HDMI™ supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC HDTV standards and supports 8-channel, 192kHz, uncompressed digital audio and all currently-available compressed formats (such as Dolby Digital and DTS). HDMI 1.3 adds additional support for new lossless digital audio formats Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™ with bandwidth to spare to accommodate future enhancements and requirements.”

Q: OK, so what is HDMI 1.3?

HDMI is a fairly new technology and is therefore still evolving. Each revision brings new features for electronics manufacturers to incorporate into equipment designs. The HDMI 1.3 specification adds the following features (from www.hdmi.org):

Higher speed: HDMI 1.3 increases its single-link bandwidth to 340 MHz (10.2 Gbps) to support the demands of future HD display devices, such as higher resolutions, Deep Color and high frame rates.

Deep Color: HDMI 1.3 supports 10-bit, 12-bit and 16-bit (RGB or YCbCr) color depths, up from the 8-bit depths in previous versions of the HDMI specification, for stunning rendering of over one billion colors in unprecedented detail.

Broader color space: HDMI 1.3 adds support for “x.v.Color™” (the consumer name describing the IEC 61966-2-4 xvYCC color standard), which removes current color space limitations and enables the display of any color viewable by the human eye.

New mini connector: With small portable devices such as HD camcorders and still cameras demanding seamless connectivity to HDTVs, HDMI 1.3 offers a new, smaller form factor connector option.

Lip Sync: Because consumer electronics devices are using increasingly complex digital signal processing to enhance the clarity and detail of the content, synchronization of video and audio in user devices has become a greater challenge and could potentially require complex end-user adjustments. HDMI 1.3 incorporates automatic audio synching capabilities that allow devices to perform this synchronization automatically with total accuracy.

New HD lossless audio formats: In addition to HDMI’s current ability to support high-bandwidth uncompressed digital audio and all currently-available compressed formats (such as Dolby® Digital and DTS®), HDMI 1.3 adds additional support for new lossless compressed digital audio formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™.

Q: How do I know that the cables I am buying are HDMI 1.3 compliant?

You need to make sure that you are buying from a trusted source. www.whatacable.com carries a full line of 1.3 compliant HDMI Cables. They are high-quality HDMI cables that support performance features associated with version 1.3 of the HDMI specification.

Here is a link to the HDMI cables page: http://www.whatacable.com/hdmi_cables.aspx

This tip brought to you by:
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

hdmi-switch-between-DVD-and-receiver-discreet-remote

2008-10-03T09:09:00.003-06:00

-----Original Message-----
From: email
Contact Name: William

Comments or Questions:
I have a question about what to purchase regarding splitting my HDMI signal to my TV. My TV has only one HDMI connection and I want to connect another HDMI to my DVD Player/Home stereo, but I am confused as to what to buy (and what will work).

Basically I just want to hook up my DVD player and TV receiver with 1 HDMI connection to my TV (instead of switching cables each time) to my TV. Do you have anything available?

Thank You
William

----------------
Response:

Hi William

What you would need is a switch like this one:

http://www.whatacable.com/hdmi-V-v13-1-3-3-way-switch-with-remote-and-power.aspx

This will allow you to switch between up to 3 devices without plugging and unplugging cables. This switch comes with a discreet remote control.

Thanks

The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

How-to-connect-a-Macbook-mini-dvi-to-tv-with-regular-dvi

2008-10-03T08:59:00.005-06:00

-----Original Message-----
From: email
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 8:29 PM

Contact Name: Kate

Comments or Questions:
Hi - I have a macbook with mini-dvi port I need to connect to a TV with a dvi female port. I think what I'll need is the mini-dvi to dvi adapter, then a gender changer, then a dvi male to male cable. Is this right, or is there a simpler way?

Thanks for your help

Kate

--------------------
Response:

Hi Kate

It sounds like you would need

1. Mini DVI to DVI female adapter. Here is the link:
http://www.whatacable.com/mini-dvi-to-dvi-adapter-cable-orem-utah-buy-onine-wholesale-converter-adapt.aspx

2. DVI cable (male to male)
http://www.whatacable.com/dvi-d-dual-link-cable-male-to-male-10-feet-3-meters.aspx

No gender changer would be needed.

Thanks -
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

WhataCable Get Connected Video

2008-10-01T18:35:00.003-06:00

CATEGORY-6-cat6-cat-6-orem-utah-salt-lake-provo

2008-09-30T18:38:00.002-06:00

So what is all the buzz about Category 6 Ethernet network cables? It's all about speed. Cat6 cables are gigabit rated, and will increase the speed of your network over CAT5e cables, which are only rated for 350MHz. Is there really a difference? Well, yes. Will you notice the difference? Maybe. Short distances may not be noticeable. But, if you want to be sure that you're getting the fastest speed your network can deliver, it's best to go with CAT6.

Where can you buy these bad boys? Well, online, WhataCable! has incredible wholesale prices. (www.whatacable.com) (located in Orem, Utah just 30 minutes south of Salt Lake City)

You can choose your length, and choose your color, and get connected. A 7 feet Cat6 patch cord will run you about $5.99. Retail price on these cables if you went to a big box store might be around $15-20. Here is the link: http://www.whatacable.com/CAT6_patch_cords_wire_ethernet_gigabit_utah_cable_supplier.aspx

This tip brought to you by

The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

mini-dvi-to-regular-dvi-adapter-utah-cable-buy-online

2008-09-30T18:26:00.004-06:00

You're admiring your Macbook, iMac (Intel Core Duo), or 12-Inch PowerBook G4 and you decide that you'd like to connect it to an external monitor. You take your cable from the monitor, and realize that it is a DVI connector... But your Macbook has something totally different called a "Mini-DVI" video output. So, is there an adapter for Mini-DVI to regular DVI? Oh yeah, and WhataCable! located in Orem, Utah has them in stock ready to ship. (www.whatacable.com)

Use the WhataCable! Mini-DVI to Regular DVI Adapter to connect any DVI monitor or projector to the Mini-DVI video port. You can also use this cable in both video mirroring and extended desktop modes.

Here is the link: http://www.whatacable.com/mini-dvi-to-dvi-adapter-cable-orem-utah-buy-onine-wholesale-converter-adapt.aspx

This tip brought to you by:

The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Mini-DVI-to-VGA-adapter-cable-where-to-buy

2008-09-30T18:20:00.003-06:00

You've purchased a sweet Macbook, iMac (Intel Core Duo), or 12-Inch PowerBook G4 and you want to connect it to a VGA monitor... but it has some funky connector called a "Mini-DVI" video output. Is there an adapter for Mini-DVI to VGA? Oh yeah, and WhataCable! has them in stock ready to ship. ( www.whatacable.com )

Use the WhataCable! Mini-DVI to VGA Adapter to connect any VGA / SVGA monitor or projector to the Mini-DVI video port.

You can also use this cable in both video mirroring and extended desktop modes.

Here is the link: http://www.whatacable.com/mini-dvi-to-VGA-cable-orem-utah-buy-onine-wholesale-converter-adapter.aspx

This tip brought to you by:

The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Mini-DVI-to-HDMI-adapter-cable-where-to-buy-online

2008-09-30T18:12:00.004-06:00

So you have a fancy Macbook laptop that has a Mini-DVI connector, and you want to connect it to your sweet HDTV via HDMI... What to do? Well, the answer is simple. You go to WhataCable! (www.whatacable.com) and get yourself a Mini-DVI to HDMI adapter cable. This handy adapter will have you watching sweet movies on your HDTV while running them off of www.youtube.com , www.nbc.com , etc.

You'll find the Apple Mini-DVI on the iMac (Intel Core Duo), MacBook, and 12-inch PowerBook G4.

Here is the link for the Mini-DVI to HDMI cable adapter: http://www.whatacable.com/mini-dvi-to-HDMI-cable-orem-utah-buy-onine-wholesale-converter-adapter.aspx

This tip is brought to you by-

The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

CEDIA - The Expo for Home Theaters

2008-09-15T21:21:00.007-06:00

Last week I spent the week in Denver. We were exhibiting at CEDIA in Denver, Colorado. CEDIA is the big show for manufacturers to show off their home theater equipment and for dealers and installers to come and get up to date on the latest technologies.

Now when I say home theater equipment, I'm not talking about something you put together that you purchased at Costco. These are posh theaters installed into high-end homes. Here is a picture of a home theater owned by a friend of mine in Washington.

As you can see, this is not just the stuff purchased from Costco. This is designed from the ground up, giving a true theater experience.

Professional Cable was there among the big names in home theater cables, such as Monster, but most of the home theater installers don't want to spend the money on a Monster cable, especially when these are often being run behind walls and can't be seen. So they turn to cables like what we manufacture.

Professional Cable is not the flashy BMW of cables, like Monster. We are more of the Honda of cables. Reliable. High quality. Lifetime Warranty. Lasts forever. But at more of a value price. Not cheap. We're not say, a KIA, or the cheapest cable out there. But we are a trusted name and offer these cables at a reasonable price.

Here is another shot of the same theater. When people have the money to spend on an elaborate home theater, the sky is the limit.

So, given how many people were there, we had a lot of success. HDMI is the most used cable in home theater installations. We manufacture and stock HDMI cables from 12 inches all the way to 150 feet. What attracted people to our booth was our super-long HDMI cables and our huge selection of adapters. VGA to DVI, DVI to HDMI, DVI to Component, VGA to Component, etc.

The other nice thing that we had going for us was that we are based in Utah. A lot of the attendees were from the mountain west, so we are only 1-2 days away via UPS ground for most companies.

It was also surprising, how many international attendees there were. I spoke with people from Russia, Belgium, Spain, Mexico, India, and Israel. All of these companies were looking for products that we carry.

Trade shows are fun, but they are not easy work. You are on your feet all day and if you are like me, at the end of the day your feet and back are aching. I relaxed each night by going to see a movie and treating myself to a nice dinner.

I've been back for over a week, and I'm still not caught up. But, that is the nature of the show, to get more leads, and eventually more customers.

Until next time

The Cable Guy

The Serial Entrepreneur

2008-08-22T13:06:00.004-06:00

I admit it. I’m a serial entrepreneur. Most of my ventures have not been successful.

The first time I went into business for myself was when I was about 9 years old. I was reading Boys Life Magazine and I saw in the back that you could sell Christmas cards to earn points with which you could buy toys and other merchandise. I signed up and couldn't wait for my first business kit to arrive. When it arrived, I was so anxious to get out going door-to-door, that I left immediately (with my Grandma’s permission). Before I knew it, I had canvassed my Grandma’s neighborhood and had a bunch of orders. On Saturday I hit our home neighborhood . Again, after a few hours work, more orders. People need Christmas cards, and I was there to deliver. I did this for at least three years and loved the goods I earned.

I worked more traditional jobs from the ages 14-17, but when I was 18 I had a friend that mowed lawns and told me he had too many customers. I said, I’ll take them! The next thing I know, JB’s Landscaping was keeping me busy. I had an apartment complex that was my main customer. I did work, and they gave me checks. I really liked this.

My next venture would be many years later. I had started taking Metabolife (herbal speed) and had great results. I lost a bunch of weight. So I thought that I’d become a distributor. I bought stock, etc. and started selling it as a side business. Eventually it ran its course. I think I used most of the product myself.

I then had a run of several business ideas. Cable Broker was a full fledged LLC. I started it as a side business, and to my knowledge only got one order. It’s hard to run businesses on the side when you don’t put any time into them. While running this I also thought that an online company selling network products would be a hit. So I started Network-Stuff.com It actually got some traction and I sold a few thousand dollars worth of goods. But it was a side thing that was inconvenient because I was working a full-time job and going to the University at night. But, I thought what I really needed, was a couple more businesses on the side. I started WebPageBroker.com, a company that would list domain names for sale, and then take a commission when they sold. I also purchased a bunch of domains hoping to sell them. I actually sold one for $2500 (americanluxury.com) While running this I got another great idea. I would sell promotional items to Universities. Specifically Football shaped cups and mugs. JB Trading was born. When all of the local universities turned me down, I went ahead with the idea anyway. I got licensed with the CLC and started selling really cool football shaped cups and mugs at the BYU football games. I ended up with several hundred of these left over, and after keeping them in my garage for years, finally gave them to charity just this year.

So, with a string of unsuccessful side-businesses, I thought that I should try this out full-time. This is when Offspring Technologies was born. Call it a blessing, dumb-luck, or pure providence, this one took off. I can’t say that I was prepared for this, but I knew the industry, I knew the would-be customers, and I had committed to do this full-time. I also had the full support of my wife and family. Sink or swim. Me and my business partner were going to do this or go down in flames burning. But we worked like mad-men, and made it work. The company grew quickly. During this time we started two other companies. Crucialcables.com and IT Distributing. Neither one of those ever really took off. Crucialcable.com maybe did a couple thousand dollars a year and IT Distributing, while a great name, never even got much past the conference room brain storming session. Our focus was on the main company, Offspring, where it should have been. Now I’ve already blogged about the downfall of Offspring, (after we sold it), so I won’t go into the details of how it all ended, but it was a success. We grew it from nothing to a recognized national brand actually becoming the leading brand in some industries.

After I left Offspring, I started Bringhurst Consulting, and did real estate full time (similar to Webpagebroker.com, but with REAL estate, not web estate.) I had some success with this, but not enough to pay the bills. Bringhurst Consulting also did web design, marketing, and consulting. So I was doing all of this, but it still wasn’t enough. I worked a couple other jobs in sales and then the entrepreneur bug started calling again. So, with the blessing of the company that purchased Offspring from the company we sold Offspring to (it’s been sold twice), I started Professional Cable and WhataCable.com. Professional Cable is a manufacturer and wholesaler of computer cables, network cables & wire, and home theater cables. WhataCable! sells all of Professional Cable’s products online, and in addition to those products, sells other third party-products. Both companies are doing well. The reason for the success? It’s similar to Offspring. I’m working full-time at Professional Cable, it’s not a side-business. I know the industry. I have full support of my wife and family. I know the customers. I’m working like a mad-man. I carry a large inventory. I have a great location. I have good vendor partners. I have established a good customer base in a lot of different industries. I’ve exhibited at the InfoComm trade show in Las Vegas, and will be exhibiting at the CEDIA trade show in Denver in two weeks. I’m getting the name out there (and it’s a good name if I do say so myself).

So will Professional Cable become a national brand like Offspring? I’m not sure. I’m not worried about that. I’m glad the company is where it is today. I’m confident that it will keep growing and will be successful.

If you've always thought about starting your own business, what is stopping you? Make a plan. What are you going to sell? Who would be your customers? How would you get your name out there? My suggestion is to do it full time. Focus 100% of your efforts on this an make it fly. It's very rewarding.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

The Cable Guy Rants - "I'm not your secretary! "

2008-08-15T17:46:00.004-06:00

I'm not your secretary! I'm not! Why do I feel like I'm an outsourced secretary for other companies? Today I get an automated phone call from Wells Fargo at my office. (this has happened with at least 5 other companies in the past two months) "We are looking for (insert name). Please call 1-800-xxx-xxxx." So, I hang up. The next day, same phone call. and so on, and so on, until it drives me crazy enough to waste MY time to call the stupid 800 number to inform them that they have the wrong number. I have to wait on hold. Then I have to answer a bunch of questions because if I don't they will just keep calling incessantly. Can anyone tell me why I should have to do this for them? They can set up these stupid automatic calls to annoy me and waste my time at work, saying how important this call is, but they cannot pay a live person to call and find out if it's actually the right number! It drives me absolutely crazy. So in essence, I am their outsourced secretary or collection agent, informing them that they've got a bad number for Mr. So and So. It just infuriates me.

Do I have the only decent company left on the planet? Guess what happens when you call our office? Try it out! Tel. 801-765-4617. Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM mountain standard time, you get a live person answering the phone. Yep. An actual person says "Hello, Professional Cable, how can I help you?" How about that? Novel idea eh? It's called good customer service. I don't have an automatic message dialing out to my customers saying "Your payment is past due". I don't have an automatic phone system saying, "For Customer Service please press 1." I just have people helping people. I know, it's crazy. If you don't get a live person, guess what you get? A real voice mail. And then guess what? Someone calls you back! What if you click on the "contact us" form on the website? Someone responds QUICKLY! Yeah, I said it. We respond quickly. Unheard of I know.

I recently had a customer in Texas email me and said, "I screwed up. I bought 50 SVGA cables that were Male to Female, but I actually need Male to Male. So I need to order the right ones and I need to know how much are you going to charge me to return them?" I responded by saying, "No charge. Just return them and I'll credit your account." He couldn't believe it. I know I hate restocking fees, so I don't charge them unless I have to. Now sometimes you have to. If it were a small order, and they didn't buy from my very often, I would lose money by not charging a restocking fee because originally I paid for a box, labor, etc. to process the order. But when they are placing another order, and it is a decent order, why penalize them and create ill-will, even though he was expecting to pay? I really like being my customers' favorite vendor. And you know what? They repay me with loyalty, and referrals. Take today for example, one of my regular customers referred another business to me. They told this business "You need to buy your cables from Professional Cable. They're the best." And so this new company is on board. By creating a fan from one customer, I now have two. Multi-level marketing companies know the power in this. Then they tell two friends, then they tell two friends, until it snowballs into a powerful force. I get a lot of referrals. I wonder how many referrals Wells Fargo is getting. "Hey Bob, I just got this real great automated phone call from Wells Fargo asking for some name I've never heard of. They've been calling me for like three months now every single day. So I was thinking, maybe you'd like to go deposit all your millions from the power ball lottery in their bank, because they really seem like great folks... you know... from what I can tell from that lady's voice on the other end of the automated phone call. I can't wait for her to call again tomorrow.

I guess I've ranted on enough. Wells Fargo, LEAVE ME ALONE!

Until next time
The Cable Guy

New Blog for non-work related blogs

2008-08-11T17:38:00.002-06:00

I'm starting another blog for blogs that have a more religious focus. The Cable Guy Opines blog will also continue.

http://www.nowthatsgoodjello.blogspot.com/

Ciao
The Cable Guy

The Rise and Fall of a Cable Empire

2008-07-30T23:05:00.003-06:00

Almost on a weekly basis someone asks me, "What happened to Offspring?" It's a good question.

Offspring Technologies was the company that I founded with my friend Shawn. It was back in 2001. The market was not good and tech companies especially were hurting because the dot com bubble had burst. I don't think anyone said to us "This is a great time to start a company!" There were many nay-sayers. In fact, the first two nay-sayers were the other two would-be partners in the company. Curtis Computer products was going out of business. Shawn and I had been let go, and these two other guys, Jason and Scott were going to be let go soon. Shawn and I were both in sales, Scott was the techie guru, and Jason was the finance guy. Shawn and I thought it would be a good team with which to start the company. But after our initial meeting in my home at the kitchen table, Jason and Scott walked saying that they didn't think the company would fly. They found employment elsewhere and moved on. Shawn was unemployed, and wanting to get going immediately. I was employed at another cable company, having been let go from Curtis several months prior to this meeting. So I had to decide just how much faith I had in this little start up. Granted, the odds were not with us. But there would be a window of opportunity with Curtis closing its doors. And someone would get the business in the void that Curtis was to leave. Could Offspring do it? Offspring was an "Offspring" of Curtis, and Curtis had acquired System Connection, the company that Shawn and I had originally worked for previous to Curtis' acquisition. So it was born. I decided that I would leave my good paying job to venture in the world of self-employment.

The early months were very hard. We didn't pay ourselves a dime. We kept putting everything back into the company. This is typical of small under-funded start-ups. It's also why many fail. They don't have the capital to keep going with out a paycheck. Six months into it, we hit it big with a large OEM account that I landed. It breathed air into the sails of the company, and from then forward, I felt like we would make it.

Later, we landed a huge distributor, that also brought a lot of badly needed cash into the company. We were on our way. This is when we really started to establish a brand. Selling to OEM accounts, you are not a brand. You in fact are brand-less. You are simply a factory supplying cables to the original equipment manufacturer. Your company name is not on the cable, the packaging, etc. You are transparent. To the end-user, you don't exist. With a distributor, we were private labeling all of or cables with our logo, our name on the packaging, our name on the boxes, etc. All of a sudden our products, branded "Offspring" were all over the Internet. Computer dealers and dot coms were selling our products. It was really exciting.

We eventually established our self as the leading computer cable brand in the college bookstore market. This was a real good niche for us and we ended up dominating the market. We surpassed billion-dollar competitors. There is something to be said for the small company, or the underdog. People like to support you. As long as your product is decent and your service is decent, people want to get behind you and help you succeed. No one cares to help the billion dollar company get richer.

Three years later we had a nice sized small company. We had done over a million dollars in sales, pretty much $2-3 at a time. The real underlying reason for what happened next was simply a difference in vision. I had a vision for the company that was to more or less stay small and run it until we retire. My business partner though had a different vision. He wanted out and wanted the stability of working for a larger company. There were too many headaches running a small business, especially one as complex as ours. I was not crazy about the idea of selling, but I could not see an amicable way of separating our company so that we could both be happy. We found a company that wanted to buy us out, and we sold it.

They made many promises and although I now have an MBA, this experience is worth 10 MBAs. I should make you pay for this advice. Here is my advice on selling your company:

1. GET EVERY LITTLE DETAIL IN WRITING & HAVE A GOOD ATTORNEY LOOK IT OVER.
2. GET CASH UP FRONT. NO LONG-TERM DEALS.

These two steps would have really changed the outcome for me. But, the promises that were made by this company, were not in writing. Also, they were supposed to keep the Utah location, but later decided to move everything to Florida. And, yes, you guessed it, I didn't get the cash up front. It was a 10 year plan... and some how 6 months into it, they decided that things weren't going as they had planned, so they weren't going to pay another dime. How can they do that you say? Refer to #1. They had written up the contract to favor them. Things continued to get worse and eventually they put pressure on me, threatened to sue me, and eventually forced me out of the company. Nice story eh?

-
Well this all was a horribly costly learning experience. I had put everything into this company. I felt like Dr. Norman Osborn (The Green Goblin in the Spider Man movie) when the board forces him out. Remember how mad he was? Well, I didn't turn into an evil villain... although... hmmm.

So a costly mistake it was. My real MBA didn't cost me this much! But, the story does have a happy ending. Two years later almost to the day, I am now running an offspring of Offspring, Professional Cable. This company has now replaced Offspring in many ways and I'm a 100% owner. Business is good, and growing rapidly every month.

So what did happen to Offspring? Well, this company continued to run Offspring into the ground and later sold it to another company in Michigan. They bought it for pennies on the dollar. They too continued to mess things up more, and well, go to website and its no longer there. It is in the ruins of cyberspace. The company does not exist. Like the ruins of the Roman Empire, you wonder what Hubris might have caused this fall. I'm not sure. But, I'm glad that a new empire is being built to fill the dreams of this cable guy.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

HDMI Cables In Orem, Utah - Close to Salt Lake and Provo

2008-07-29T09:57:00.006-06:00

This post is simply to inform those of you out there who are looking for an HDMI cable (for your new HDTV) that you really shouldn't go pay full retail at Circuit City, or any other big box store, because you will pay a "Monster" price for those fancy packaged cables. You can order them online at http://www.whatacable.com/ or pick them up at will call in Orem. Their address is:

77 South Mountain Way Drive
Orem, UT 84058

They are open Monday through Friday
8:30 AM to 5 PM.

You will save at least 50% on this purchase, yet still get a high-quality, HDMI certified cable with gold contacts, backed by a lifetime warranty. These are manufactured by Professional Cable, and they are designed for professional installers and integrators who put these into million-dollar homes that have exquisite home theaters. These are not the "cheapy" low-quality cables that you find on e-bay or Wal-Mart. They just don't have the shiny clamshell package that takes an industrial saw to cut through, and they don't have the expensive price tag. You'll be glad you saved yourself a lot of money. Just think of all the popcorn, Milk Duds and Diet Coke that you'll be able to buy with that saved money!

WhataCable! supplies HDMI cables from 12 inches all the way up to 150 feet. Give them a call. 801-765-4617.

Buy your cable, and enjoy the movie!

Until Next Time

The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

The Dream Ticket - Obama and McCain

2008-07-29T09:18:00.003-06:00

The Economist had an interesting article in its July 19-25 issue. It tried to nail down the best choice for both presidential candidates.

The article mentions that fourteen Vice Presidents have gone on to be Presidents of the United States. It's an important decision. The right VP in this race seems very critical to the outcome and both candidates are holding their cards close to their chest, hoping in this VP chess match, that the other will make the move first so that they can pick the best VP to counter the other's choice.

The Economist suggests that both candidates should ere on the side of caution. McCain, it says, "is the oldest candidate (71) in American history. He needs to appoint someone who could instantly step into his shoes" It goes on to say that he must compensate for his fatal weakness, economics.

Obama also has may weaknesses, most of which is his lack of experience and he also has trouble connecting with blue-collar America.

The Economist says that McCain has an easier choice. Their choice (and mine) is Mitt Romney, a youthful-looking 60-year-old with plenty of executive experience and a businessman with Wall-Street credibility. They go on to say "True, he is a Mormon with unreal hair, and he and Mr McCain don't like each other much. But running for the White House is not a road trip."

Romney stands out among the "short-list" as the obvious choice for the Dream Ticket for the Republican Party. He fills in where McCain falls short. Like Dick Cheney was for George W. Bush, he would almost be a co-president.

Obama's choice is not as clear. Hillary Clinton would be a disaster. The Economist says, "It would spell dysfunction in the White House.. and might suggest weakness on Obama's part." They run through a number of possibilities, leaving Mr. Warner, Bayh, and Kaine stating that they might be a little dull, but a boring white man may be exactly what Obama needs.

I think that the Economist has nailed it here. McCain is extremely weak when it comes to the economy. He is strong on the war in Iraq, but who is talking about that anymore? Energy Independence and the Economy are the two flags this camp needs to fly high. Let Romney hold the Economy flag and McCain hold the Energy Independence flag.

Obama can't choose Hillary. It just won't work. Both Obama and Hillary will always be overshadowed by Bill, and his reputation will follow them through the presidency. Obama needs to break away from that reputation. But he needs someone on the Democratic Party ticket to give him the experience he lacks. He needs his Dick Cheney to be a co-president of sorts to fill in where he is weak.

I'm not crazy about McCain. In fact, I, like many other conservatives out there, may not vote for McCain without a strong conservative VP running mate. Without Romney, I may just end up writing Romney in. McCain alone doesn't stand quite up to the conservative values that I'm looking for. And as a business owner, who is not fond of being over-taxed, I can't vote for Obama. So in my opinion, without Romney on this ticket, I'm without a party.

The Cable Guy is on JibJab

2008-07-19T22:35:00.001-06:00

See if you can spot me. J-man on Jib Jab.

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

“Un-politically Correct Comments” or “The Plainness of Their Words”

2008-07-18T20:53:00.005-06:00

*Occasionally I will blog about things that pertain to my personal beliefs, my religion, or simply my opinion. These blogs are not affiliated or endorsed by my company. This is one of those blogs. It is also written more for an LDS (Mormon) audience.*

Today on my morning commute to le bureau, I was listening to the Bob Lonsberry show on AM radio. Bob was asking for thoughts comments on a situation where a father & husband, told his wife of many years that he had decided that he was gay. And he had decided that he first knew he was gay when he was about 9 years old. And he was thinking of telling his two oldest children (ages 9 and 11) that he was gay, but that he and their mom would likely still stay together. He said that he would probably stay with his wife and not look for any one else. But, he had recently realized the leaders of the Church were wrong when it came to same-gender attraction because they didn’t approve of it. It wasn’t his fault he said because God made him that way. Lastly he said that he had a rock-solid testimony of the gospel, the Book of Mormon. Riiiiight.

Well, I wanted to call in and opine about this, but I couldn’t get through. I may not have even called the right number. Hint to Mr. Lonsberry, “Say your number a little slower and maybe repeat it once in awhile!”

In any case, this is what I wanted to say this morning.

I have a confession to make. I too have a problem like this gentleman. I have an opposite-gender attraction. Yes. I’m embarrassed to say this. I know it must be shocking. I am indeed attracted to the opposite sex.

I first noticed my opposite-gender attraction when I was around 8 years old. I however lived a normal childhood, despite this problem. I went on and served an honorable full-time 2-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church). I served in Bordeaux, France. I would occasionally see a beautiful woman, (yes, imagine that, a beautiful woman in France!) and my opposite-gender attraction would tempt me, but I suppressed it and put it out of my mind. I later married, and had a wonderful family with four children. But I knew that I still had this opposite-gender attraction.

So I think that I should confront my wife with this and admit, when I see a beautiful woman, I am attracted to her. I can’t help it. God made me this way. So I should probably tell my children about my attraction…the two oldest anyway, because they are 8 and 10 and should handle this OK. I will probably stay with my wife, but I’m not sure. I know I made all those covenants in the temple and all, promising to be faithful for time and all eternity… but then this whole opposite-gender attraction thing came along. I thought that I’d magically be cured after getting married in the temple. I guess I too must now need to question the leaders of the Church because they do not approve of me fornicating with other women, even though I clearly have this desire to. You know, I have this opposite-gender attraction that God gave me, so really, what else can I do? Of course I have a rock-solid testimony, just not about adultery, keeping covenants, and being a good father, and maybe some other things that I will decide at my will and convenience if they jive with how I want to live my life with my problem of opposite-gender attraction.

OK, now as you know I’m being facetious here. But, it sounds so ridiculous when you change the attraction from same-sex to opposite-sex. Of course it’s not OK to act on either of those feelings. Most men do have opposite-sex attractions even after years of marriage. So if you have gay tendencies, boo hoo. Why should you get a free-pass to ignore all the commandments just because you have same-sex attraction? We all have our temptations, and like or not, there are commandments. God has His laws. And just because you don’t like them because you can’t go off and do anything you want, well, welcome to the club! I’m bound to the same laws, and I’ll tell you what, I have every bit as much temptation as you gay folks. (or you folks with gay tendencies). I don’t believe for a second that your desires are any stronger than my desires.

In summary, we all must live within the bounds God has laid for us. If you don’t live within these bounds, you are not in accordance with God’s commandments. That is the truth. Some take the truth to be hard because of the plainness of the words. Well my brothers and sisters, this life is a test for us all. We all have our temptations. I love my wife, and I don't want to hurt her. I'm attracted to my wife, so it's all good. I love my children, and don't want to hurt them. I believe that we are here for a purpose. That's where that whole Plan of Salvation thing comes in and families can be together forever. We do have a prophet here luckily to guide the Church and teach us the will of the Lord. The scriptures are clear. The Book of Mormon especially is clear. The Ensign and General Conference words are even clearer. Read "The Family -A Proclomation to The World." We know what we are supposed to do. Look in your heart and pray about it. Be ye not deceived.

Until Next Time
The Cable Guy

Family Home Evening Song

2008-07-14T21:23:00.002-06:00

Tonight we had our family home evening. This is something that Mormon's are instructed to do each Monday night. We are supposed to set this night aside from work and play and even church activities, and spend the night with the family. We get the family together for a spiritual message or a short lesson, we read the scriptures, we say an opening and closing prayer and have an opening and closing song. Usually we have a treat at the end.

Tonight for the closing song we sang "If you chance to meet a frown" a favorite Mormon primary song that the kids love. I spontaneously I kept singing and made up a new verse.

If you chance to meet a clown
Do not let him stay
Quickly kick him out the door
And scream all the way.
(cause clown's are creepy of course, especially if you chance to meet him in your house)

As you can imagine this got the whole family laughing because it is supposed to be a cute song:

If you chance to meet a frown
Do not let it stay
Quickly turn it upside down
and smile the frown away

Leave it to me to get the kiddies all wound up and irreverent right before the closing prayer.

We are now making chocolate chip cookies to take to a couple neighbors.

Gotta run!

Until Next Time
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Frenchy Food - My favorite recipes

2008-07-12T16:29:00.004-06:00

I loved my time living in France. I especially loved the food. I have a hand written recipe book that I had kept back in 1991-1993, and it's getting worn. So this post is simply my recipe book. Feel free to try them. I wouldn't have written them down if I didn't like them. There is a mix of recipes that I discovered in France, and recipes that were sent from home of things that I missed. You really start to crave things that you took for granted back home. (Like peanut butter). Some have European measurements and others U.S. I’m just copying them the way they were written.

Never Fail Pie Crust

4 cups flour
2 cups shortening
1 cup boiling water
1 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
Add hot water to shortening and then add flour, salt, and baking powder, then mix.

Snicker Doodles
2 ¾ Cups Sifted Flour
½ Tsp. Salt
1 ½ Cup Sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 cups soft butter
2 eggs

4 tsp. Cinnamon
5 Tbsp Sugar

Mix and sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cream the butter (mix it) and add 1 ½ cup sugar gradually making it fluffy.
Add beaten eggs and mix
Add sifted dry ingredients, gradually mixing in.
Chill in refrigerator
Mold dough into small balls
Using mixture of cinnamon and sugar, roll dough ball in it.
Bake about 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheet at about 400 degrees for ab0ut 10 minutes
Store and hide from companion.

Root Beer

Root beer is generally legal in the Mormon Faith, but Elder Johnson and I made a huge batch that started to ferment. It was an accident that it started to ferment on us and we tried to drink it all very quickly, but the fermenting root beer combined with us drinking large quantities was probably not a good idea. Now I’m not saying we got drunk, but I’m not not saying we did either. It was more of an innocent root beer tipsiness.

2 ½ Cups Sugar
¾ yeast cake
½ bottle root beer extract
1 gallon water
Mix together
Set in warm place for 4 hours
Then get it into the fridge (the part we didn’t do because we had mass produced many gallons and had a small fridge)

Rochers
3 egg whites
250 grams of sugar
250 grams of almond powder or coconut powder (or half and half)
first add sugar then the egg whites in the sauce pan and mix well
Stir over low flame constantly until sugar dissolves
Take off flame
Do not let whites cook
Add substance (almond powder, etc.) and mix well
Form balls
But on buttered sheet
Cook at low temp. in oven for 15 minutes

Chi Chis
2 cups of flour
add hot water to make thick pate
Deep fry in long shape like a hot dog
Roll in cinnamon and sugar

Poubelles
Fry hamburger
Cut up green pepper, onion, (red and yellow peppers if available) and fry with hamburger
Add in Vache Qui Rit (laughing cow cheese) about 10 triangles
Add in tomato paste, water, salt, and pepper
Mix it all together in the pan
Cut a baguette (French bread) in half and hallow out the middle
Put the mix into a hollowed out baguette

Lovey Truc (Elder Loveland’s stuff)
Put oil into fry pan, enough to cover the bottom of the pan
Heat the pan
Break up spaghetti noodles and brown them in the pan in the oil
Add hamburger and onion or ham
Add rice and cook until the rice is white
After all is cooked, add a can of corn and simmer for 1 minute
Then add to cans of water (you haven’t added any water till this point)
Continue to add water until rice is cooked
Let is simmer
Remove lid, let water boil out
Mix 1-2 eggs together in a separate bowl
Pour over stuff in pan and mix until cooked
Serve with chop sticks, soy sauce

Breakfast truc (breakfast thing) from Sister Ray
Cook some rice
Add sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla and stir into rice
Cook for 8 minutes with rice
Mix in peaches.
Serve hot or cold

Another Breakfast truc from Sister Ray

Smash up some fruit like peaches(1/2 cup or so)
Add to fat free fromage blanc or fat free yogurt
Mix in some cinnamon and sugar to taste

Rice a Roni a la Elder Rusch

1 cup rice (cook it)
1 cup small broken up spaghetti noodles – fry in butter on the stove until browned
Add 2 cups of water to browned noodles
Add a bouillon cup (chicken or beef)
Boil till water evaporates in pan
Add rice in before the water has completely evaporated
Mix and serve with some salt and pepper

Rice Crispis
½ cup butter
1 package of marshmallows (try finding these in France)
5 cups of rice crispies (try finding these in France)
Melt butter in large saucepan
Add in marshmallows
Stir constantly until melted
Remove from heat
Add rice crispies
Spread on to buttered pan
Cool and cut

Meat Loaf (Grandma Alldredge)
1 package of hamburger
1 egg
1 small onion
½ cup bread or cracker crumbs
Mix all together & put in a baking dish
Cover with tomato sauce and bake

Spanish Noodles (Mom)
Brown 1 lb. of hamburger
Add 1 medium onion cut up
Add 1 bell pepper cut up
Then drain off grease
Mix in ½ cup chili sauce
Mix in ½ water
Top with 2 cups of noodles
Add 1 large can of tomatoes (1 quart)
Add 1 teaspoon of parsley flakes
Add ¼ cup grated cheese
Cover, cook until noodles are soft (1/2 hour)

Potato Salad for 2 people (Grandma Alldredge)
4 potatoes cooked & chopped
1 tsp. salt
Boil 2-3 eggs (hard)
1 small onion chopped
1 cup mayonnaise, enough to cover potatoes
1 tsp. mustard mixed with mayo

Macaroni Salad (Grandma Alldredge)
1 ½ cup macaroni cooked and cooled
2-3 hard boiled eggs
1 small onion diced (this might be a green onion)
Add baby shrimp or tuna
Add Mayonnaise with some mustard and mix into salad

Potato Cheese Soup (Gavin Duckworth, though I often took credit for this soup because I added hamburger to it to J-manonize it – and to make Gavin mad)
6 potatoes in a pot
1 tsp salt
Peal and cut into chunks
Boil until tender
In another pan while the potatoes are cooking, make the sauce
1 Tablespoon salt
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp onion salt
Melt butter & stir in the other ingredients (the potatoes are still cooking in the other pot)
Add enough milk until it makes a thick gravy.
Turn off burner and add 1 ½ cups of grated cheddar cheese
8 oz. of sour cream
Stir until the cheese is melted
Add the sauce to the potatoes, water, and all. Stir till blended and creamy.
That’s all. You’ll love this soup.
Now if you want to J-Manonize it, you also add in some cooked ground hamburger. It is better that way, in my humble opinion. Though most things on earth are better with either hamburger or bacon.

Best Brownies On Earth – Elder Sim
(dry ingredients)
2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa (Nestle Quick is preferred in France. It’s not real dark)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 package of the pink package chemique (I’m pretty sure this is baking powder)
Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl.

(wet ingredients)
4 eggs
1 ½ cup oil (melted butter tastes the best)
2 cups of sugar
1 package of vanilla (probably the same as a teaspoon in the U.S.)
Mix all wet ingredients in one bowl
Slowly stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring constantly to avoid clumps.
Pour into baking pan and bake
Cook at 4 ½ for ½ hour (In France 4 ½ is probably 375 degrees)

Yogurt Cake – Elder Johnson
Mix each time you add something. Use the yogurt cup for measuring everything else.
Add 1 Yogurt (personal Yoplait size) (whatever kind you want, plain, strawberry, blueberry, etc.)
½ Yogurt cup of oil
½ yogurt cup of milk
3 eggs
a pinch of salt
2 full yogurt cups of sugar
1 package of vanilla (1 tsp. vanilla)
3 heaping yogurt cups of flour
Package of levre chemique (baking powder, maybe 1 tsp.)
Grease pie pan/cake pan with butter and sprinkle flour over greased pan
Bake on # 6 (probably 350-400 degrees in the US)
Add fruit, coconut, etc. for flavor
No frosting required. They don’t do that in France really.

Les Crepes – J-Man’s crepes taken from several comps. and added my touch
1 ½ cup flour
Tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Mix dry ingredients
Add to wet ingredients
2 cups of milk
1-2 eggs
Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl before adding dry ingredients
After ingredients are mixed well (stirring constantly as you add the dry ingredients to avoid lumps) grease the crepe pan (or regular frying pan)
I use a paper towel and fold it up, and dip it into a little bowl of olive oil, then grease the pan with the paper towel. I do this between every 2 crepes.

Use a ½ cup to poor the batter onto the hot crepe pan, tip the crepe pan to cover the entire pan. Watch the crepe to see when the one side is slightly browned/cooked. Loosen the edges with a butter knife or spatula, and then flip it. (You can try to turn it with the spatula, but it wouldn’t be the French way) Cook is slightly on the 2nd side. Put onto a plate and add toppings such as Nutella, fresh strawberries, whip cream, butter, and sugar.

Rice Salad
Cooked rice, chilled
2-3 tomatoes cut up
1 avacado cut up
1 can corn, drained
3-4 boiled eggs
Add all the ingredients together. Pour Vinaigerette sauce over it.

Vinaigrette Sauce (Elder Stokes)
½ Tsp Mustard (tres fort) Stronger the better
½ Tsp pepper
Add vinegar and olive oil to taste, about ½ and ½

Now I’m hungry after copying these all down. I think that I'll make dinner.

Bon appetite
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

The ins and outs of HDMI cables

2008-07-07T21:38:00.003-06:00

The most common question I get asked is, "Is there a difference between all the HDMI cables out there?" This is often followed by, "It's so confusing because there seems to be such a variety in the costs." If you are frustrated and confused by the myriad of HDMI cables on the market, stay tuned.

The answer to the question is simply, "Yes." There is a difference to all these cables when it comes to HDMI. If you are talking about a PS/2 keyboard cable, or a DB9 serial cable, there are a few differences, but generally, whatever you get will work because there is not a lot of date being transferred. However, HDMI is a very complex, high-speed, high-tech cable designed to carry a lot of data, both video and audio simultaneously, and there are certain characteristics which need to be met in order to comply with HDMI specifications. HDMI has specified how an HDMI cable should be manufactured. If you comply with these specifications, you should be OK. However, there are factories that try to cut corners by using less shielding or thinner wire gauges. This is when you run into trouble because you will not get true HDMI performance from these cables. So, in this sense, you get what you pay for. Does this mean that you need to go buy the most expensive cable you can find to get the best performance? No. This also is not necessary. You’ll get great performance from cables like “Monster” at the big retail outlets, but you are paying for a lot of fancy packaging, marketing, and “fluff” or “bling” that does not affect performance. Unless you’ve got money to burn, your cables don’t need bling.

As an AV installer, or a professional audio video integrator, you simply want to make sure that you are consistently getting the best quality cables at a fair price (the best value for your money). You need to partner with a manufacturer like Professional Cable that manufactures pro-grade cables, without all the extra gold monster “bling”. If you are looking to connect an HDTV at home, you can turn to WhataCable! for your cable needs. Both Professional Cable (for resellers, distributors, and professional installers) and WhataCable! (for home users) offer a lifetime warranty on high-quality HDMI certified cables.

We ran into this same problem back in the 90’s with SCSI cables. There were only so many short-cuts you could take with a SCSI cable before it affected the performance. Then later you had factories trying to use really thin wire on USB cables, and they couldn’t obtain true USB 2.0 speeds because of poor shielding or sub-par components or wire gauge. There are a lot of things that go into the quality of the cable during the manufacturing process. These are copper cables, so the copper must be of good quality. They have to meet the AWG that is specified for the technology. They are susceptible to EMI (interference from electricity) and data loss because of poor shielding. They require an aluminum foil shield and in addition to that, a copper braided shield. This is all very costly, especially with the shortage of copper and rising costs of copper and PVC. So again, factories will try to take short cuts. Aluminum braiding can replace the copper braid shield, but strict testing and quality control must take place to make sure that there is a sufficient shield to pass EMI testing.

Hopefully this clears up the question, “Is there a difference between HDMI cables?” and “Which HDMI cable should I buy?” You don’t want to be left with a fuzzy screen or loss of that crisp clear picture that you saw at Circuit City when you bought the HDTV. At the same time, you don’t want to pay the outrageous price for a tricked out HDMI cable that will give you no more clarity than the one that costs half the money at http://www.whatacable.com/ After all, these are the cables that the professionals are using to install the mega-home theaters that you see in the homes of the Rich and Famous. If it’s good enough for the professionals, it’s good enough for the home users, and you’ll have plenty of money left over for popcorn.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

CAT5e still hanging around - for how long?

2008-06-27T00:22:00.002-06:00

About 6 years ago, someone told me that CAT5e was going to be replaced soon by CAT6. Now in 2008, I'm still seeing a lot of CAT5e sales. CAT6 is selling as well, but we just did a recent poll on our website, and about 70% of the cables being purchased are still CAT5e over CAT6. Why is this? Isn't CAT6 way faster?

Nobody sells CAT5 anymore. CAT5e replaced that technology in 2001-2002. My opinion? I think that there is no NOTICEABLE difference for the average user. In fact, I would say there is no difference, especially if you are just going from the wall to your desktop or laptop computer (say 7-14 feet). I think you might notice if you get above 50 feet. BUT, in order to have a truly CAT6 system, EVERYTHING must be CAT6 including the wires in the walls. Also, if you are connecting to wireless routers, the difference between CAT6 and CAT5e really doesn't matter. So, we still sell both. I don't know that CAT6 will every fully replace CAT5e because other technologies are becoming more cost effective.

The challenge with both CAT5e and CAT6 is that they are both using copper conductors. And copper is now so expensive, not to mention that there is a copper shortage, other technologies like Fiber Optics, is likely to become just as cost effective as the copper wires. Fiber is, well, the speed of light. How does copper compete with that?

I think that with the rising costs of copper, we'll see a move to affordable Fiber Networks even for the SOHO industries. You'll enjoy blazing speeds, and no copper wires. This also is great for EMI. Electrical interference is not an issue when data travels through light beams instead of electrical pulses. I love you CAT5e and CAT6, but the writing is on the wall... You'll be old technology as the world goes to fiber. You'll even see HDMI and USB replaced by Fiber. Toslink (fiber optic audio) is really making a move replacing the composite and component audio cables. It was stalled somewhat because HDMI combined audio and video, but there is a lot of copper in those HDMI cables. They are heavy, expensive, and the factories are strugling to get enough copper to fill orders.

Like all changes in industry standards, it will take awhile, but it will happen. Do you have any bulky SCSI or Parallel cables still in a box somewhere? Don't they look like old heavy technology compared to our slim USB and CAT6 cables? We'll look at USB and CAT6 cables the same way as we use light, thin fiber optic cables to connect our external storage device to our TV, home theater, and computer (which will all be one and the same eventually).

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

Review - The Incredible Hulk

2008-06-26T23:07:00.002-06:00

I know, I know, I've read the reviews, and I don't agree. I liked the Hulk. Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors, and without him, the movie couldn't have been as good. But, the fact is, he was great as Bruce Banner.

The movie starts off in some crazy town in Brazil. I've never been to Brazil, but it this town is really amazing. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is working a a day laborer in some factory. I thought the story was compelling as he was in hiding in Brazil trying to fight his demon and control his Hulk incidents. I loved the movie except for every time the Hulk opened his mouth. Is it just me, or did the original Hulk just grunt a lot? I don't ever remember him speaking. So when he would say things in the deep monster voice, it seemed cheesy. I think the Hulk is meant to lift cars up, throw bad guys around, and remain otherwise silent. OK, there is one other thing that bothered me. I don't care for the computerized animation of characters. But in this movie, it bugged me less than other movies.

I grew up watching the Hulk on TV. I never read the comic book or anything else, I was just in to the TV show. In fact, I remember one day putting on my white button-up Sunday shirt, going outside and pretending to turn into the Hulk, ripping the shirt off. I got a big lecture when I brought the shirt back inside and all the buttons were missing. Nobody understands the Hulk.

The original Hulk from the TV show actually has a cameo on the movie as a security guard. Also making a cameo appearance is Iron Man, another movie that I really liked.

I actually was not expecting a lot from this movie because the reviews have not been great. But it's a movie that I wouldn't mind seeing again. I had a good time watching it. Maybe it's just the kid in me, but I recommend this movie.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Day 3 of InfoComm 08

2008-06-21T01:32:00.002-06:00

The last day has come and gone at InfoComm 08. It was noticeably slower today. I thought that it would be. It's a Friday, and most people wanted to get home for the weekend. The others had partied hard last night (including Miss Karaoke Booth Hottie) and were sleeping off a hang-over. I was actually glad that booth hottie didn't show up. She just distracted people from the good stuff (my booth). I guess she called in sick. Riiiiiight.

Even though the traffic was much lighter today, I still managed to collect about 30 leads, a couple of which are real interesting.

So at the end of the show, with very sore feet, I think that this is a show that we'll do again next year. However, next year it's in Florida. I can't drive to that one! Cedia is the next big A/V show, and it's in Denver this September. I think that will be a good show.

I learned that Face plates and custom cables were a big hit at the show. I'm glad that I brought some of our HDMI and VGA faceplates to show. Also, our mini-HMDI male to regular HDMI female adapter was a hit.

I'm looking forward to getting in contact with all of these companies and turning them into loyal fans of Professional Cable. Most of my customers say that we are their favorite vendor because we are so easy to work with and because of our great service. (refer to the posting about my 10-step secret to a successful company from a couple days ago).

I'm heading to bed now to rest up for the long drive back home tomorrow. It's around 7 hours on the road. But I so prefer it to flying to Las Vegas.

Until Next Time
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Review: Get Smart 2008 - Well Done Steve Carell

2008-06-21T01:15:00.004-06:00

I haven't read any reviews about Get Smart, and I don't care what others are saying. I saw it tonight with high expectations because I really think Steve Carell is hilarious, and this movie did not disappoint. I grew up watching the original Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) as agent 86 on the Get Smart TV show. I used to love that show! I'd always pretend to talk into my shoe.

In the modern-day Get Smart, Steve Carell plays the clumsy Maxwell Smart, and I was afraid that I'd walk out of the theater saying that he "Missed it by that much!" But he didn't. He nailed it. And I thought that Anne Hathaway did a great job as agent 99. They worked together well on screen, and the part where they were dancing was very funny. My favorite part, where I was laughing so hard I could hardly see, was when he was in the bathroom and accidentally fired the little crossbow pocket knife through his foot, then through his cheek, etc. (hope I'm not ruining it for you) I could watch that part alone 10 more times.

Overall I thought that they captured the old fun elements of the TV show, and modernized it very well. It was funny, interesting, and the characters were likable. I'm giving this one a thumbs up. I'll see this one again... and again. Of course, I really liked the last Pink Panther with Steve Martin. So, if you're not in to those types of slapstick comedies, then you may not enjoy it. For me, it was right up my alley.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

InfoComm 08 - Las Vegas - Day 2

2008-06-20T00:55:00.002-06:00

Day 2 was busy at the Professional Cable booth at the InfoComm show in Las Vegas. More international distributors and integrators visited the booth, which makes me ask myself, “Why didn’t I take more than one Spanish class at BYU?” I have actually used my French while here as well. (Oui, c’est vrai en plus!) Canadians are always impressed when I speak French. “Vous aimez les cables? Moi aussi!” Unless of course they are Canadians that don't speak French. Then I just give them the French shrug and say "Comment?". But trying to communicate with a guy from Columbia about HDMI cables in his broken English and my broken Spanish .”Me gusta mucho el burrito con queso! Donde esta el bano? Usted está caminando en mi dedo del pie.”

Many years ago, when I was with Offspring, we had a booth in the corner of the Camex show out where most people didn’t even bother to walk. I’m in a similar spot here at this show, though not quite that bad. What was even worse, was in the booth across from us, they had a hover craft. Not like a little remote control dealy, but a full-size, jump in, and we’ll go for a ride outside hover craft. WHOOOOSH, VROOOM, this thing would go. And all the heads would turn to watch it as they walked by our booth, as if we were not even there. I felt like Tom Hanks and Jon Lovitz on SNL as the Girl Watchers. “Hel-lo!... Good-bye… Not interested in me at all. No reaction whatsoever… Not even the time O’day!“

Well this is happening at the InfoComm show as well. (Is it just me? Do they hate me or do they hate cables?) Sorry, did I say that out-loud? I must be getting a complex or something. This time it is not a hover-craft, but a hovering-hottie at the booth directly across from me. There is a company that makes Karaoke equipment across from us, and they hired some “talent” for their booth. i.e. eye candy, Las Vegas hottie, etc. She’s a head-turner alright. It’s been an interesting study to watch literally hundreds of guys walk by my booth looking directly at her not even noticing that I’m there (or my booth). How do I compete? I could try to learn to juggle tonight at the hotel. I could try swallowing flaming swords. I could wear the same outfit that she is wearing… though I couldn’t really pull off the pony tails. That outfit on me might get some attention… but not likely to get anyone to come talk to me. Each day of the show she is wearing less and less. I’m glad it’s not a 6-day show! Wowza! I’d have no reason to come at all! I think that in some ways though it is hurting their business. She gets on the Karaoke machine and is actually a pretty good singer, and draws crowds, but I don’t think any of these guys are interested in the karaoke “products”. If they sell a Karaoke machine it will be a miracle. I think they might actually discourage real customers from going to the booth and getting information, especially if that person is a woman. That’s been my observation. Maybe I’m completely wrong, but I have a suspicion that I’m right. I have a feeling that Mrs. Cable Guy (The Cable Queen) would have an issue with me hiring “talent” to stand in my booth next to me.

Never-the-less, the show has been good. I’ve got lots of good leads, and a lot of interested people that have said I’ll hear from them. You never know until you see the orders, but my company is making a name for itself. Every show like this strengthens the brand, and yes, Professional Cable is now a brand, even in Canada, eh?

Until Next Time
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Forbidden Kingdom vs. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-06-19T23:54:00.003-06:00

If you would have told me a few days ago that I would like The Forbidden Kingdom (Jackie Chan and Jet Li) more than Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Harrison Ford), I would have laughed in disbelief. I mean how can you screw up getting Harrison Ford back on the big screen as Indiana Jones? You even have a good name for the movie! But somehow, they did. They took Indiana Jones, and made an X-Files movie. Mixed in with a little Close Encounters. Then they threw in a little Caddyshack. (What on earth was the deal with the gophers?) I can’t believe it, but thumbs down for this little piece of…. work.

But, if you’re going to the movies this weekend, there is a movie that I do recommend, The Forbidden Kingdom with Jackie Chan. I thought that this would be a typical Kung Fu movie, but it actually has something The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull lacks, A PLOT! It starts in America, but moves to China. A young American kid finds himself in China on a quest to return a magical staff to the Monkey King who was turned to stone over 500 years ago when his magical staff was taken from him. It all comes together nicely, is full of action, and takes this young American kid through China as he learns Kung Fu a la Karate Kid. I really liked this movie and it was a nice surprise after the Indiana Jones Alien fiasco.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

InfoComm 08 - Las Vegas

2008-06-18T22:41:00.007-06:00

InfoComm 2008 - Las Vegas, Nevada.

I've been to CES many times and several years ago I would go to Comdex in Las Vegas. These are both huge shows. With my former company Offspring, I have gone to many education shows such as Camex. But this was my first time exhibiting at the InfoComm show in Las Vegas, and boy am I impressed.

While not as big as CES, this is no little regional show. It attracts BIG name manufactures such as Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, Sanyo, etc. and attendees from all around the world. InfoComm has combined and co-located its show (A/V Industry - Audio Video Integrators and installers) with NSCA (Systems Integrators) and NXTComm (Network and Telecom Integrators) into one massive show at the Las Vegas convention center. It's indicative of how the industries lines are being blurred. AV installers are also installing fiber optic networks in homes. Systems Integrators are installing huge video servers. Network installers are installing projection systems in conference rooms and video conferencing systems. As an owner of a cable company, I love it! Each one of these industries uses... you got it! CABLES! So Professional Cable is very busy at this show. Many of you yawn at the sound of HDMI or SVGA, but for these guys, my products are a head-turner. Yes, I said it. My cables are turning heads. They are looking for high-quality cables without the "Monster" prices. I just hope my competitors don't figure out what we are doing, because from what I'm hearing it's revolutionary. Let's keep this secret just between us oK? Here is the 10-step master plan: 1. Good prices. 2. Friendly personal service and support. 3. Huge inventory. 4. Easy to work with. 5. Lifetime warranty on cables. 6. Free freight (contact me for details). 7. Big selection of high-quality professional-grade cables. 8. No frills packaging. 9. Knowledgeable staff. 10. Custom cable capabilities. There you have it. How did I come up with such an amazing 10-step program? Well, I listened to my customers. It's what they wanted. Why wouldn't I give it to them? Heck, it's what I would want to . I think too many companies when the get to be a "big company", decide that if you don't like what they have to offer in a neat little package, then well, you're out of luck. Not at Professional Cable. You need something custom like a wall plate with a VGA port and RCA connection? OK. We'll custom make that for you. You want a plenum SVGA cable in 40 feet lengths? OK, we'll custom build that for you. I guess my competitor's try to force their customers to just buy what they have and if they don't carry it, they do the French shrug and say, "Désolé!" "Why?" You might ask? Well, they don't care. Yep. They are too "big" to care. (refer to French shrug). I never want to lose the Professional Cable motto. "Small enough to care. Big enough to get the job done."

Today I made contacts in Australia, Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, Canada, integrators all over the USA (including Hawaii) and even a couple in Utah. There are something like 60,000 attendees and over 1,000 vendors just in the InfoComm show. One day down, two to go. The show ends Friday June 20, 2008.

One thing I've learned at the show is, it is not a one man show. I need more people here next year. Lot's of people lining up to ask the cable guy questions. I love it! My feet hurt though.

So there you have my report. Our booth is no Sanyo, but we have something that all of these resellers and integrators need in order to finish the job. The cables. (Try turning on your fancy plasma TV without the power cord. FAT CHANCE!)

Until next time

The Cable Guy

http://www.professionalcable.com/

88 Lines About 44 Women

2008-06-14T18:32:00.034-06:00

After my latest car acquisition, my brother challenged me to do a blog about all the cars I've owned.... I admit it. I have a problem. I told him it would be something like the song by the Nails, "88 lines about 44 women". If I come across actual photos, I'll add them. For now, these are just pictures of the same year and make of car to give you an idea of how they looked, but they are not my actual car. Here goes.

1. 1975 Chevy Nova. My first car. I got it when I turned 16. It will always have a sweet spot in my heart. I spent a lot of time in this car delivering pizzas for my first job, going on my first date, driving to high school, etc.

2. 1976 Audi 100 LS. This was a LEMON... but oh I loved this car. I replaced the engine and painted the car white from its brown original color. The interior was tan and black. It was a sweet eye-catching machine. The license plate said "RAUID1". I stored this while on my mission and drove it after I came home for awhile. I now know that it is a horrible idea to try and store a car for two years while on a mission. Cars don't do well when they sit for two years. Problems persisted and I sold it.

3. 1970 Chevy Pickup. This was the third car that I purchased before my mission. I put a transmission in this (with the help from my friend Scott), put new chrome rims on it, and had it painted. I sold this before my mission and it helped fund my mission.

The next three are somewhat questionable, because they were purchased for my mom when she was tight on money. But I think that I paid for them and sold them, so they were legally all my cars.

4. 1976 Ford Courier Pickup. It was purchased for $300 or so from my mom's employer, Ivie Electric in Sandy. She drove it for awhile. I then drove the heck out of it, took it camping a lot, and then sold it for $500.

5. 1971 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. This was purchased from someone who I'm sure was a pimp visiting from out of state. This car floated down the road, guzzled gas, and was a sweet ride. I remember driving it to Provo a lot to go dancing at a club. I'd take it just because I thought it was "Pimpin'."

6. 1978 Subaru wagon. This car was a lemon, but mom drove it for a long time.

7. 1987 Honda Civic Hatchback. This car was light blue with blue interior. It was a 5-speed. I came home from my mission and got rid of the Audi. I wanted something that was dependable as I was commuting to Provo every day to go to BYU. This car holds a sweet spot in my heart, and it's probably why I love Honda's so much. It was a great car. On a trip from Lake Powell to Salt Lake I got 50 MPG. It lasted me all through BYU. After getting married, Jen drove this car until she couldn't take it any more in the heat. (no A/C).

8. 1985 Toyota pickup truck. The week before we got married, I bought this Toyota pickup for $200 from a customer (at Texaco). They had a courier business and this was one of the two original trucks. It had over 250k miles on it when I bought it. It ran like a champ and I later sold it for $750. It stressed Jen out, and it was a foreshadowing of all the cars that we'd see together.

9. 1987 GMC Jimmy 4x4. Not much to say here. It was a major gas guzzler. I liked going off road in this up Hobble Creek canyon back when we could afford to just go drive for fun.

10. 1993 Mazda Protege. This was our first car with A/C. Jen quickly claimed this car for herself and loved it to death. We sold this when we went to Holland to live for 2 years.

11. 1992 Oldsmobile. This was my first corporate car. I decided that since I had started a corporate job, I needed to drive a 4-door sedan that had A/C. We sold this to my Uncle Brent before going to Holland.

I had three different company cars in Holland and England. I won't put them in the blog.

12. 1987 Mazda 626. Upon returning to America from England and Holland, we purchased a Mazda for cheap. It was not the best car. We had this for less than a year.

13. 1999 Dodge Dakota 4x4. This was the first car ever that I bought brand new. It was shiny red with a dark grey interior. It was a beautiful truck. It was new, and while I had it dependable. I really enjoyed it. Gas was reasonable at the time. I took it off-road a lot and went camping, etc. I was also Elder's Quorum President while I had this truck and I moved half of the ward in and the other half out while living in Springville. I left my youth and my back with the truck.

About this time I also got a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix company car. I had it for like 2 months before I was laid off from Curtis Computer products.

14. 1965 Ford Mustang. This will also hold a special place in my heart because this was my dream car. I love love loved this car. It was a head-turner. I sold it to help fund my start-up business Offspring Technologies (that I started in 2001 with my friend Shawn Rapier). I have a wonderful memory buying this car too. I bought it on ebay (and sold it on ebay). My buddy Scott and I flew to Sacramento, CA and drove it back home. It was a real fun experience.

15. 1998 Pontiac Bonneville. The single worst car I've owned. I bought it and before the license plate had come (still had the new temp. tag on it), the transmission had gone out. I never really liked the car. It was a bad decision. I sold it within like 6 months.

16. 1987 Ford Taurus. Now car experts looking at the list might expect this one to be the lemon. But, for us, we had a great experience with this car. We had it several years and put over 40k miles on it. I know lots of others who had major problems with the Ford Taurus.

17. 1999 Honda Accord. As I look through the list of cars I can see mistakes, regrets of buying, and regrets of selling. This is the latter. I loved this car. It was a super great dependable smooth car. I traded it in when we decided to get company Land Rovers.... looking back, that was a bad idea. I'd drive this car again any day. What was even better was I went from the horrible Pontiac Bonneville to this one.

18. 1998 Plymouth Voyager. We still have this one!!!!!!!!!!!! Whewhoooooo! Now you didn't expect to see that so soon. This has been such a great reliable family car, we haven't had any reason to change. Love it! Finally in the tally of cars that I've owned, an American-made car that has been stellar.

19. 2001 Land Rover Freelander. This car evokes mixed emotions. It's kind of like the Hindenburg for me. I was so proud in the beginning when I bought it. This was a company car purchased by MY company! (and Shawn's company). I loved it. It was amazing off road and in the snow. It was brand new. (My second brand new car purchased). However, when we sold the company, this car became a big old fat weight and burst into flames crashing down... figuratively of course. Then gas prices soared, and I wanted out.

20. 1969 Chevy Pickup. We needed a truck as we were moving from Springville to Highland. I still loved the old Chevy pick ups like I had before my mission. *I still have this classic truck!* It's an automatic which is nice. The one that I had pre-mission was a stick. This one is a V8 and the one I had before my mission was a straight 6. This is also a 2WD.

21. 2004 Toyota Camry. I bought this new. Got rid of the Land Rover. Again, looking back, this was a keeper.... but I didn't keep it. I really liked this car. It would have probably lasted me until I was 65. But, I was let go (forced out... agreed to resign at gun point, or at the point of a knife from an attorney, threat of lawsuit, etc.) from Advantus and decided to try real estate. I didn't want a car payment, so I sold the car.... Should have kept this one.

22. 2000 Mazda Protege. I am really neutral on this car. It was a decent car. I bought it, then started real estate and found out quickly that the car you drive is a big deal in real estate. This car was not sending the right message. (however my Camry would have been ideal.) I had this car for like 3 months.

23. 1995 Lexus LS300. Trying to stay out of debt while not bringing home any money, I went with a luxury car that was good on gas and reliable. This is a great car and I'm glad that my mom was able to buy this from me.

23. 2005 Dodge Dakota. After starting another cable company, I thought that I'd offer local deliveries, so a truck would be essential. This is almost right up there with the Pontiac Bonneville. Instead of a transmission going out, it was the engine. Luckily this was under warranty. Although I put a couple thousand into other repairs. At the same time, another massive spike in gas prices. They rose about $1 up to $4 a gallon. I had to ditch this big fat lemon. I felt the same way as I did when I ditched the Pontiac Bonneville. Yahoo!!!!

24. 2008 Honda Civic. This is probably the coolest and sportiest car that I've ever owned. I love this car. It is my newest edition and I think that I'll have this for a long time. It gets great gas mileage and it is brand new, so no repairs. I really like the look, the drive, and pretty much everything about this car. (except for the payment).

I'll add this one in, because my brother Nick mentioned it as a "vehicle" purchase. It was more of a toy, but a gas-saving toy that I did drive to work a lot. I recently sold it.

25. 2005 CF Moto 150cc Scooter. Great scooter. I just needed to shed some debt since I just picked up the new Honda.

So there you have it. I may have got the year of a car wrong here or there, and heck, I may have even missed a few. But this is how I remember it. 88 lines about 25 cars.

Until next time

The Cable Guy

http://www.professionalcable.com/

How I met my wifey

2008-06-13T10:02:00.013-06:00

I've been asked to write down how I met Mrs. Cable Guy, so I thought that I'd share it with all. (if you get this story from Mrs. Cable Guy, it will be totally different I'm sure. But, this is how I remember it!)

I was a dashing young buck going to school at Brigham Young University. I had just recently returned from a 2-year LDS mission in Bordeaux, France. I was living down in Provo, Utah at the "Tanner Apartments, Lucky # 7". My mom had been bugging me to go visit my cousin who was also going to BYU. My cousin was from out of state (Washington state) and my mom was worried that she (my cousin) would be home sick and that she'd appreciate a visit from her cousin. So one day I decided to go over and visit. My cousin was roommates with a friend of hers from Port Angeles, WA. She introduced me to her roommate, who was to be the future Mrs. Cable Guy. I was so impressed that I kneeled down on one knee, took her hand, kissed it, and said in an English accent, "Hello My Lady". She fainted on the spot. The rest is history. (Did I mention my version was a little different than my wife's?)

OK, maybe that didn't happen. But I'm not not saying that it happened either.

So it turns out they (the girls in the apartment) were going to go see a movie at the dollar theater that afternoon. They were going to see Cool Runnings. My cousin and another girl already had their tickets, but they invited me to come along. I might add, that once I decided to go to the movie, Future Mrs. Cable Guy... let's call her the Cable Queen, decided that she wanted to go to the movie as well. (She had recovered from her fainting spell.) But when we got there, the movie was sold out, so the future Cable Queen and I ended up separating from the others.

So what did we do? We got tickets to Sleepless in Seattle. Disclaimer... I knew nothing about either movie, so I really didn't care. But, as it turns out, seeing a romance movie with a girl is a good idea.

So, I was liking how things had turned out. Our movie didn't start for another 20 minutes so we had some time to kill. We played some video games in the lobby.... I paid for the video games, so this technically was our first date. We enjoyed the movie. From then on, magically, I was all-of-a-sudden really excited about visiting my cousin as much as possible. (and her room mate).

Eventually I asked the future Cable Queen out on a group date, then later we went out with just the two of us. I think she really liked me because of my cool car. Well, actually, she liked me simply because I had a car and she didn't. So I found myself taking her shopping for groceries, etc. We spent most of that semester together, studying, doing wash, and going on very cheap dates. Working at the Sinclair gas station on Center Street in Provo at $5 an hour didn't pay for much.

She went home for the summer (to Port Angeles, WA). I went home for the summer (to Midvale, UT). We kept writing (no e-mail back then you see and definitely no blogs).

When Fall semester came around, the Cable Queen called me (she may not admit to this) and let me know that she had rented an apartment VERY close to mine. Now I'm sure that she would roll her eyes and say it was merely a coincidence.... and she's kept that story for 14 years or so... but we know the truth... (refer back to fainting spell). And again we started dating and hanging out for the next two semesters. Then May 6th, 1995, between Winter and Spring semester, we were married in the Salt Lake Temple.

Now you know the real story.

Until next time

The Cable Guy

http://www.professionalcable.com/

Heroine for Cars

2008-06-11T22:04:00.006-06:00

Tonight as I was pulling into a gas station (for an ice cold Diet Coke), I saw a line of SUVs all with the fuel nozzles sticking out of their sides filling up. It was like a bunch of heroine addicts getting their hit with needles poked into their arms. These big vehicles can't go very long without another hit. I know. I recently traded my gas guzzling Dodge truck for a new Honda Civic. I will save $130 a month at current prices ($4 a gallon). I put about 1,000 miles a month on my car. If it goes up to $5 a gallon like some experts say we'll see this year, I'll save $160 a month. That's like another car payment. Monday I leave for Vegas. For this trip (to and from Vegas) I will save $135 in the Civic.

My Dodge was addicted to gas like a heroine addict. It loved to stop at gas stations, and for a meer $70+, it would be good for a week... sometimes... OK. Sometimes it was getting its fix twice a week. All the while my bank account was being siphoned... kind of like you would siphon gas... but it was my hard-earned money flowing out of my checking account through the matrix of wires and computers into the credit card machine on the gas pump. I would exchange that hard-earned money, for my Dodge's fix. It would go into the tank. I would start my truck, drive to work, and most of it would be gone. Vanished into thin air. (much to the chagrin of Al Gore). I guess on this, I'm with Al Gore... something I've never said before and am not likely to ever repeat. It was killing me. I hate to waste money. It burns me. I felt that I was just throwing money away.

So now I'm driving a fancy dependable Honda. They are extremely dependable cars. Dependability is a whole other issue with the Dodge. My Dodge was in the shop more than on the road. I thought the check engine light was going to burn out it was on so often. At 63k miles the engine was replaced (at no charge since there was a whole 7k left on the factory warranty). It was riddled with reliability issues and repairs the whole time I owned it. Consumer reports (which I failed to read before buying this gem) rips it apart also. Apparently I was not the only one with troubles. However, my new Civic is highly recommended as a very reliable car with virtually no problems and very high consumer satisfaction.... So why can't America build cars like this?

In other high-fuel costs news, I've decided to keep my gas guzzling 1969 Chevy pickup, although it only gets 12 MPG. I don't drive it much, but it is convenient for yard work. But, every mile I drive is like throwing $0.34 out the window. It's crazy.

So there you have it. I'm happy with the new car. I have faith in America and think that the high fuel costs will just inspire entrepreneurs to come up with alternatives to gas. Why there aren't natural gas stations popping up like popcorn on the apricot tree, I don't know. I think that is a gold mine waiting to happen. Albeit, a gassy, natural, gold mine. Also, quick-n-easy (and cheap) conversions so your regular car can run on either natural gas or the regular unleaded. The bio-fuel cars exist, but the conversion is spendy. The answer is out there, and I can't wait to see how many ways we can stick it to the Middle East as they try to hold us hostage to their heroine supply.

Until next time

The Cable Guy

http://www.professionalcable.com/

P.S. Don't forget that you can order cables online at http://www.whatacable.com/

Summer is here

2008-06-01T20:47:00.002-06:00

Do you remember how cool it was the last day of school each year? I fondly remember the last day of school. During elementary school, it meant spending a lot of time at my grandmother's house during the summers while my mom worked. She had a big sand pile and I pretty much spent most of the day playing with trucks and cars in the sand or on the grass. When I wasn't playing cars, I was riding my bike pretending to be "John" from the TV show CHIPS, or I was packing a gun around playing like I was a cowboy. Occasionally I would get some money and go to Harmon's grocery store and buy some ammo. (caps) I would shoot Indians and cougars from the trees. I'm guessing neither one of those things is politically correct for our kids to do today. If the polar bears are close to extinction, cougars are right behind them I'm sure....

Then came middle school. By this time I was old enough to stay home by myself in the summer. I'd sleep until 11 a.m. get up, do my chores (a gazillion a day) eat lunch, and then call my friends. We'd meet at someones house, and then head down to Dan's grocery store and buy a 25 cents ice cream cone. If I had money left over, I'd go buy a big gulp at the 7-11. Neither Dan's nor 7-11 was close by. It would take us 30 minutes to walk there and 30 minutes to walk back. We might spend some time at the arcade (inside Dan's) or we might head up to Flat Iron Mesa afterwards and play baseball, tennis, or just hang out and try to meet girls. Summers were a ton of fun.

Once high school came along, I worked during the summers. My schedule when I first turned sixteen was not great for socializing because I was delivering pizzas at night. I didn't date a lot because every night I was cruising in my 75 Nova, listening to cool New Wave music on the radio or on cassette tapes. I actually really liked that job. This is probably where my real addiction to Diet Coke started. I had to buy my first cup each night, but then the rest of the night was free refills. Man I drank a lot of Diet Coke. Driving all night hyped-up on Diet Coke, listening to Oingo Boingo... it really was a good gig. It combined my three most favorite things (Cars, Music, and Food)... OK so I had five favorite things. Diet Coke which it included, and girls.... No girls really, except the other pizza delivery girls....and there was little time to sit around and chat. Pony Express Pizza was busy every night. The next year I had got a job at a Texaco gas station, where I would work for the next 4 years. (Again, all the Diet Coke this guy could drink)... No wonder they never made a profit! But those were fun summer nights. We would get so many teenagers in getting gas and hanging out every night was a blast. We'd close at 10 PM and then it was usually off to someones house or we'd just sit and talk. Those were good times.

Fast forward now 20 years and last Friday was my kid's last day of school. They had a big party at our house with water balloons, slip-n-slide, trampoline, sprinklers, etc. Lot's of fun in the sun. As the old guy who's the bread-winner, I was at work busy selling cables. The magic of summer is mostly gone. I have little to look forward to during the summer. But I do love summertime. It's still my favorite time of the year. I love the smells, especially in the morning and at night. It brings floods of memories back to me of being a boy, and having nothing but a lot of playing to get done during the day. Now even my Saturdays seem to be filled with yard work, errands, etc. Life is busy.

One thing that is nice this year is we suspended our satellite TV for the summer. Our kids are bummed that they don't get to watch Sponge Bob 24/7, but it's a good thing. We find ourselves outdoors more, reading more, and talking more. I love our TV, and I really love the convenience of turning on the TV and watching TiVo'd programs. But I'll survive, and so will my kids.

We don't have any real family vacations planned this summer, which is a downer. But, I hope to get out and do a little camping, and at least one night I'll sleep out in the back yard with my kids (they love that). I love tall glasses of ice water after mowing the lawn or doing some activity outside in the sun. I love walks in the evening, and the smells of flowers, the sounds of sprinklers or running water in the canyons. I love sitting in the hot tub and seeing the millions of stars in the sky. Summer is here and I love it!

Whatever we do this summer, I will enjoy the warmth, the sun, the long days, Barbecues, hanging out with family, and yes, the cold Diet Coke.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Scooters get no respect

2008-05-20T21:15:00.009-06:00

So about three years ago gas started skyrocketing and I decided to get a scooter to tool around on. I drive it to work on nice days (and on some bad), take it to the grocery store when I just need to run get a couple things, etc. I love the scooter. It's a 150cc with plenty of power to get this 200+ lbs guy well above 55 MPH when needed. I had to get a motorcycle license, and I wear appropriate gear such as gloves, a helmet, etc. I'm out there exposed just like the motorcycles are.... yet, they have their little elite club. Unless you've driven a motorcycle (or possibly a scooter) you may not know about this. But when two motorcycles pass, they hold out their hand in the "motorcycle wave" or "biker wave". (see photo) This is to recognize each other because you're now in a brotherhood of bikers. You're out there exposed to the dangers of automobiles without the protection of airbags and a bunch of steel around you. So you'd think that scooters, being in the same situation, would be part of this little club and get the courtesy wave. Nope. We are second class citizens to the bikers. They don't wave to us. Occasionally I get a wave because they think I'm on a motorcycle (my scooter is actually quite large. It's not a little 25 MPH 50cc scooter). Once they realize that I'm just a scooter, they want to retract the wave. NO! YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE CLUB! I TAKE THAT GESTURE OF KINDNESS AND FELLOWSHIP BACK!

So do the scooters have their own little secret wave? No, not really. We are enjoying buzzing around getting 60-80 miles to the gallon. You know what? Scooters are a lot of fun! We may not get respect from the bikers, but it is a different experience. I've owned a motorcycle. It's really cool, but a total different experience. Scooters are easy to drive, and you can easily get from A to B with little effort. Motorcycles are much better for longer trips. If you're into cruising and road trips, scooters aren't going to be your cup of tea. But for quick trips to the store, or a mega-economical way to commute to work (not on the freeway), they are perfect. My scooter is red. I always wanted a red scooter (Honda Elite) in high school. They are a blast.

As I've travelled on business and pleasure around the world, I've noticed how many other countries use scooters for everyday transportation. In Europe it is very common to see scooters everywhere. Teenagers never have cars, they have scooters. In Taiwan and China, cars are almost more of a status-symbol. You start out driving a scooter until you can afford a car. Parking for scooters is crazy and driving one must be absolutely a wild experience. I've only seen it from inside a taxi cab. I'm posting a picture of scooters parked in Taiwan. I told one of our factory partners there that I drove a scooter to work and he wouldn't believe me. He couldn't understand why I would do that when I had a perfectly good car... again, it's a bit of a status symbol. I'd probably drive the scooter with or without the high gas prices. I just really enjoy it.

So if you're thinking about buying a scooter because of the horribly high gas prices, I'm all for it. The more of us on the road the better. Then the car drivers will get used to us and it will be safer for everyone.

As for high gas prices, it is killing me. I have a really cool old 1969 Chevy pick up that gets less than 10 miles to the gallon. It is draining every penny I have to drive this thing while my car is in the shop getting work done. I put $30 dollars in it yesterday, and after driving up to Salt Lake City, UT and back to Orem, Utah, I had used the whole $30. How are we going to make it with these old cars? As for mine? It's up for sale... and not a lot of interest. Everyone is thinking the same thing. "Let's get a smaller more economical car." It's really affecting business too. It's hard to make any money on bulk CAT5e and CAT6 wire at work. The freight is absolutely through the roof. Heavy cables like DVI, SVGA, and HDMI cables, especially the extra long ones, are the same. The fuel surcharges keep going up and up. It's hard to stay on top of them.

I think we need some solutions, and fast. We have a ton of oil in Utah. Let's drill it baby! Let's drill in Alaska! And while we are drilling, lets get working on a fast track to some alternative energy sources. Whoever comes up with a way to retro-fit these old cars with some money-saving alternative is going to make a lot of dough. Weather it be natural gas, solar, wind, hybrid, electric, whatever. Let's get a move on it. The price of fuel is really starting to hurt.

Until next time

The Cable Guy

http://www.professionalcable.com/

Redbox, The Internet, and Friday Night Videos

2008-05-13T20:49:00.006-06:00

Times have sure changed since I was a teenager. Flashback to 1985 when I was 15. I would look forward to the weekend so that I could watch "Friday Night Videos". I would watch videos by artists such as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Erasure, New Order, etc. I would not see these videos anywhere else, so I "Had" to watch it that Friday night. During commercials, it was a battle royale to get to the bathroom, grab a drink, pop popcorn, etc. before the show came back on. We did not have cable TV. That would have at least given us MTV, which some of my friends had. When I'd go to their house, we would sit up all night watching music videos. I would usually record Friday night videos on a VCR tape to compensate for no MTV. I'd sit next to the TV and VCR so that I wouldn't miss one of my favorite songs.

Fast-forward to the present. Our lives are much easier now. I have one show every week that I "Have" to see. (hint... it's not Friday Night Videos)... It's The Office. I love this show. It makes me laugh out loud every week. Do I worry about missing it? Not really. I can set the TiVo to record all the episodes. This is handy because then I can watch it whenever, rewind it to hear a funny line again, and pause it whenever. If I'm watching live, I can pause live TV, go to the bathroom, get a Diet Coke, and pop some pop corn. I miss nothing. I come back, resume, and get to fast forward through all of that paid advertising.

Last week I missed the episode of The Office. So I actually went online and watched the whole episode at NBC.com. I could pause, rewind, but I could not get around the commercials. But you know what? I was OK with that. They paid for me to watch it free online. I know a lot more about the new Palm and 2009 Toyota line up. I'm good with that. Lastly, there is Red Box. How many of us on the way home Friday after work get the call from the wifey that goes like this.... "Hi Honey. I don't want to cook tonight. Can you pick something up? Also, do you want to grab a movie to watch after the kids go to bed?" That happens to me almost every Friday. So how convenient is it to have a Red Box at the McDonald's where you pick up the food? We have one at the local grocery store as well! So if I'm picking up some bread and a rotisserie chicken, I can grab a Red Box DVD all in ONE STOP! I love the one stop! And, being Mr. Cheapo that I am, I love me the $1 DVD rental. Long live Red Box. It's an amazing system... I hate the long lines... but did I mention ONE BUCK FOR THIS DVD RENTAL?

The cool thing about 2008 is that you can watch these programs or music videos with Mega-big, super-crystal-clear HDTVs with an awesome surround sound home theater system.... A tad bit better than the little TV with one mini-speaker that we huddled around at our place in 1985. Nowadays you do have more cables to choose from than just your composite RCA cables. This can be a challenge if you are setting up that dream machine of a home theater. You have Component Cables, HDMI Cables, DVI Cables, S-Video Cables, Toslink Cables, SPDIF Digital Coax Cables, SVGA Cables, and RG6 Coax Cables. You better make sure that all of your devices can talk to each other and have the same connections all the way through so your killer home theater doesn't fall short of what you're expecting.

So there you have it. In 1985 information and entertainment was harder to come by. You had to work at it. In 2008, it's everywhere. (So much so that it can make it hard to get your work done!) You have a variety of ways to watch your favorite TV program. You have a variety of ways to watch music videos. (MySpace.com, FaceBook.com, Youtube.com, etc. etc.) If you have a computer, it's out there.... Just like this blog. You don't pay a thing to read. Back in 1985 you had to buy a newspaper or magazine to read.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

15 Years flies by - Ahhh La France!

2008-05-06T10:34:00.007-06:00

So it's been 15 years since I stepped off of the plane, coming home from my LDS mission, having served 2 years in France.

Over the past 15 years, since I came back to America, I met my wife. I started my career. I have returned to Europe several times. I lived in Holland with my wife Jen. We had our first child, Julienne, in Holland. We lived in England for a short time. I've travelled to China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong several times. I finished my BA degree at BYU. I started my own business with a friend, grew it into a successful company, and sold it. I got my MBA from Colorado Tech. I purchased my first and second home. I've travelled all over the USA. I've purchased a gaggle of cars. (a fleet might be more appropriate). My brother served a 2-year mission in California and learned to speak Spanish. I've had 3 children since coming back to the USA, for a total of 4 children. I have started another cable supply company and have seen success. There has been a lot that has happened. Life has been good to me. Yesterday was my 15 year anniversary on coming home from my mission. Today is my 13-year wedding anniversary (married 2 years after coming home, almost to the day). I never could have imagined all of the things that I would see and do that day back on May 5th, 1993. Now I sit at my desk, at my company, and I wonder in amazement, what do the next 15 years have to hold for me and the world? 15 years ago I hadn't heard of the Internet, e-mail, cell phones, etc. I had not heard of any of the common terms in the cable industry such as: HDMI, Wii, X-Box, Plasma TVs, LCD, High-Def, HDTV, FireWire, USB, SATA and SCSI. The world really was different 15 years ago. I would guess that the world will be different 15 years from now.

Here is to another 15 years of peace and prosperity.

Until next time

The Cable Guy

http://www.professionalcable.com/

Digital Signage - Giving the Printing Industry Heartburn

2008-05-01T22:37:00.004-06:00

Have you noticed how well digital signage works? Say you walk into an electronics store and there on massive screens, are advertisements about the TV, Camcorder, iPod, Cell Phone, PDA, computer, or whatever department you are browsing. In the past, stores would spend big bucks on designing the ad/poster, printing it on a large format printer (probably outsourced to a printing company), laminating the poster so it could withstand public traffic touching and bumping it, mounting it to a board, and then putting it up in the store, possibly just for a seasonal promotion, or even a weekend. Think about how much effort this would take in a department store, or a grocery store! Now, with an investment in digital signage, you change your ad with a click of a button. You can have the ad rotating with other ads, so when shoppers are in line at the check out, they see your specials, your promotions, or maybe your promotions for next week, reminding them to come back. If you are in retail and you are not taking advantage of digital signage, you need to rethink your advertising strategy.

Digital signage comes in all sizes and therefore you can do it on a small budget, or go all out and really make a splash. This is now an industry to itself. You basically need a computer to run the ad (and there are some basic boxes on the market for under $300 that can be dedicated to running digital signage), at least one display monitor, (this can be an HDTV or even a computer monitor), and the cabling, (you didn't think that I'd leave that out did you?) and you're set! Professional Cable's high-quality HDMI cables are being used in retail stores that are raking in big sales thanks to a good digital signage campaign.

Don't have a big budget for digital signage? Alex Para, manager of the University of Utah Bookstore had no budget for this, but knew he'd get big results with them running ads and information about products found at the bookstore. So what did he do? He went to his vendors and sold them ads on his new digital signage...which they paid for. Now that it's paid for, 100% by his vendors, he is seeing the impact of the digital signage in his store. His department is getting noticed. Students are walking in to the computer department asking about the Apple (MacBook) Air laptop computer that they saw on the digital display. Some are saying that they hadn't even noticed that the bookstore had a computer department until they noticed the signage. He'd had the good old-fashioned posters up before He'd used giant banners before. But what caught their eye? The big HDTV showing all the fancy gadgets the computer store had to offer.

As you are putting together your digital signage, consult a professional. There are many companies that specialize in the design and installation. If you are doing something real basic, you'll probably be OK doing it on your own. Give me a call. I can help point you to some of the hardware that you'll need, like our HDMI multipliers. It allows one computer to run the ads, and splits out the signal to multiple HDTVs or monitors via HDMI cables. We also carry the same thing in SVGA. SVGA multipliers have been used in this setting for a long time, often in classrooms, airports, and conference rooms.

With retailers moving by the dozens to digital signage over the regular posters, large format printer manufactures like HP, large format printing companies like FedEx Kinkos, and laminating companies like GBC are having a bit of heartburn over lost sales and are scrambling to try and figure out how they can take a part in the newest wave of in-store retail advertising.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

$63.00 at the pump. How high can gas go?

2008-04-24T10:24:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I filled my 6 cylinder Dodge Dakota 2-wheel drive pick up. For about 17 gallons of gas I paid over $63.00! $63 is a big chunk of change for the privilege of driving a car. I fill up once a week. The cost of fuel is draining the little cash that the average family has. I own a scooter. I purchased it back in 2006 when gas prices hit $3 a gallon. I have used it a lot when a car isn't necessary. But sometimes a car is necessary. I have a business that requires me to deliver big heavy boxes of cables to local customers. I can't do that on a scooter. I have four children. I can't drive a small Honda or Toyota sedan. I need a mini-van. If we have another child (which we plan on doing) we will have maxed the seating in our mini-van. The madness has to stop because we Americans just don't have the money to fuel our vehicles at these prices.

I have lived in Europe for many years. I've lived in France, Holland, and England. I was always amazed at the tiny cars and the mega-high fuel prices. The two go hand in hand. High fuel costs force people into small cars or on to public transportation. Public transportation is what the government would like us to use. That is a socialist idea. Don't let the people have the ownership and freedom of their own transportation. Force them to use transportation provided by the government. That makes us dependent on the government for one more thing. The more we depend on them, the more we are stuck paying outrageous taxes. Government health care, government housing, government transportation (they use the term "public" because govt. transportation doesn't sound good). We are becoming Europe, without all the good food, old architecture, and intriguing cultures. Where does it end? We've known that we were heading on a collision course with an energy crisis for years. But in our complacency, and in our pride, we've ignored it. Are we the next big empire to crumble? Or does our pride tell us "that could never happen to us!". I'm worried and you should be too.

On the news yesterday I heard that Costco in Utah is rationing how much rice and wheat you can buy! Does this sound promising? You better hope that you have a huge stock of food because every time prices go up at the pump, the cost of your bread and milk goes up. Transporting bread and milk costs money and uses fuel. (Mormons have been instructed to have a 1-2 year supply of food storage for years.... although many of us are not quite there).

So I attempted to ride my mountain bike home yesterday from work with a dual purpose. 1. Shed some extra pounds. 2. Save some gas. (Did I mention I paid $63 dollars to fill my car?) I really enjoy riding my bike. But I grossly underestimate the incline from Orem to Highland. (I should have known that "High" "land" was not just a cute name). It is a 13-14 mile bike ride. I thought that I could do it in an hour. With the hills (they are worse than they seem in a car) it took me about 1 1/2 hours. If I were in better shape, I would have shaved some time off that. Nevertheless, I'm not sure how viable that is for a regular commute.

As these prices at the pump keep going up, it effects us all in every area of our life. Do you know how heavy 1,000 feet of CAT6 wire is? It costs $15-20 to ship this to my customers. That money evaporates my profits. There is no profit in bulk wire right now. A 100 feet SVGA cable or 150 feet HDMI cable? Again, the cost of freight because of the fuel surcharges is eroding profits from every company that is involved in the supply chain and ultimately effects the consumer.

We need to take this seriously and get our national house in order.

Consider these words written by Abraham Lincoln as part of a resolution in 1863:
"'We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and power as no other Nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us... It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our . . sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

Happy Earth Day to You!

2008-04-22T08:18:00.004-06:00

Ahhh, earth day. The memories of spending time with earth. Isn't every day really earth day? I frankly can't get along without her. (Mother Earth that is). So today really is just like every other day. I look at the majestic mountains, the spring flowers, the blooming trees, and just like any other day, I marvel at the wonders of the earth - and these things testify to me of a supreme being who has created it all for the benefit of mankind. (Again, from time to time, I express some of my personal beliefs, and this blog is not endorsed by my company or any of my affiliations. It is simply what it says it is, me opining on different subjects.)

I don't think having an earth day is bad. But like all things, I think it should be done in moderation. I am actually going to ride my bike home from work today. Am I doing this because of earth day? Not really. It's a combination of me needing to lose 30 lbs. and the ridiculous price of gas. (and the fact that we are coming out of the winter freeze. My extra 30 lbs. and the high prices at the pump won't get this mid 30's man out on a bike in freezing snow. Sorry.) But, it is a good thing to do on earth day. Many people will look at me on my bike as I ride home and think, "Now there is someone committed to the earth!" Nah. I've always been committed to the earth. I like to eat. Food comes from the earth. Therefore, I'm a big fan of the earth. Same goes with water. I like to drink water (and yes Diet Coke has a lot of water in it too!) Water comes from earth. Hence, yes, I'm a HUGE raving fan of earth. I like to breathe. It makes me happy. Not breathing is a bummer (I have asthma... I know about not breathing). So, thanks again to? Yes! Mother Earth for all that yummy oxygen. How about all of that pretty gold, nickel, aluminum, and copper in the fancy cables that I sell, that has provided a living over the past 13 years? Yes again! Earth has generously provided every bit of it. The wood that holds my house together? From Venus? NO! From Earth! The soil where our struggling garden is? From Earth! The dirt on which my green (sometimes) grass sits and grows? Yes! Earth! The gravity that keeps me from flying off into outer space! Again, freely provided by our friend the Earth. WOW! Now, am I a tree hugger that is worried about every little thing? No. Do I think the world is over populated? Not even. We can sustain 100 times the population that we have here now on earth. But, I do agree that we could be better stewards of this wonderful planet. I don't think that growing food for fuel is a good idea! Sorry Ethanol. I think your days are over, just like the Wizard on the Wizard of Oz, we've seen behind the curtain, and we realize that you are costing us dearly and saving us not a penny - but costing us a fortune. Let's don't use food to fuel our cars. That's a bad idea.

So on this green day, I will probably listen to some Green Day, I will throw my big gulp cup into a recycle bin, I will ride my bike home from the cable company, I will enjoy the beauty that nature provides gratis, and I will drink some water and breath some yummy air. Why? Because I'm a big fan of earth... Just like the rest of us humans.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Right Angle HDMI adapter

2008-04-18T16:38:00.002-06:00

Have you tried installing one of these new flat HDTVs on a wall? These wall mounts for the flat TVs is a whole industry now, and it's booming. One issue that people have with these TVs is that sometimes the cable is sticking out too far which makes it difficult to get the TV right flush agains the wall.

As a solution to this problem, Professional Cable, LLC, a leading manufacturer of cables, adapters, switches and wire, recently launched the HDMI Righty-Tighty™ - HDMI Port-Saver Right Angle Adapter.

HDMI is becoming the most commonly sold video cable today in the electronics industry because of the popularity of HDTV and high definition video. Cables however can sometimes get in the way when space is limited. The Professional Cable "HDMI Righty-Tighty™" is the perfect solution for tight spots. It turns a regular HDMI cable into a right angled cable, for easy connections in crowded spaces. Professional Video Installers are saying that it is extremely helpful on ceiling mount projectors, wall-mounted LCD TVs, and home theaters.

Professional Cable (PC) is a global cable, adapter, switch, and wire manufacturer and supplier. PC specializes in custom and OEM cable manufacturing, which is done both in the USA and in China. Custom-engineered cables can be used with countless electronic devices in many industries including: medical, automotive, industrial, military, computer, and consumer electronics. PC makes over 1,600 different cable assemblies including many off-the-shelf standard cables used in homes and offices: USB, CAT6, HDMI, SVGA, Micro USB, Mini-USB, Fiber Optic, Telco, Toslink, ATAPI, Ribbon, IDE, SATA, and FireWire cables—just to name a few. PC products can be found at Retailers, Value Added Resellers (VARs), Electrical Wholesalers, and in OEM manufactured products around the globe.

You can purchase the HDMI "Righty Tighty" online at www.whatacable.com for $8.99.

Unitl next time
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com

Mini HDMI - The newest coolest cable on the block

2008-04-16T09:24:00.002-06:00

So here is some news from the cable world...

Professional Cable, LLC Launched "Mini HDMI cables" this week.

As you know, I work for Professional Cable, LLC, a leading manufacturer of cables, adapters, switches and wire. We just launched a line of Mini HDMI cables. HDMI as you may know, is becoming the most commonly sold video cable today in the electronics industry because of the popularity of HDTV and high definition video.

So why this new Mini HDMI Cable? Well, recently, Digital Cameras and Camcorders have started including a "Mini HDMI" connector to support the HDMI interconnect technology. However, in order to connect this equipment to an HDTV with regular HDMI connectors, a converter cable is necessary.

Therefore, responding to the industry needs, my company, Professional Cable, a leading connectivity solution provider, is now manufacturing and stocking Mini HDMI, also called "Type C HDMI", to regular HDMI cables in 1.6 feet (0.5 Meters), 3.2 feet (1 meter), 6.5 feet (2 meters), 10 feet (3 meters), and 15 feet lengths (4.5 Meters).

In addition to the converter cables, Professional Cable is manufacturing and stocking Mini HDMI to Mini HDMI cables in the same lengths.Professional Cable supplies many professional home theater installers and AV (audio/video) dealers with the high-quality cables necessary to connect their professional-grade high-definition equipment such as video projectors, HDTVs, DVDs, satellites, speakers, surround sound systems, and more.

Professional Cable (PC) is a global cable, adapter, switch, and wire manufacturer and supplier. PC also specializes in custom and OEM cable manufacturing, which is done both in the USA and in China. Custom-engineered cables can be used with countless electronic devices in many industries including: medical, automotive, industrial, military, computer, and consumer electronics. PC makes over 1,600 different cable assemblies including many off-the-shelf standard cables used in homes and offices: USB, CAT6, HDMI, SVGA, Micro USB, Mini-USB, Fiber Optic, Telco, Toslink, ATAPI, Ribbon, IDE, SATA, and FireWire cables—just to name a few. PC products can be found at Retailers, Value Added Resellers (VARs), Electrical Wholesalers, and in OEM manufactured products around the globe.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
www.professionalcable.com
Orem, Utah

Yeah, I've got an opinion on the FLDS ordeal in Texas

2008-04-15T22:10:00.005-06:00

I don't usually shy away from my opinions, and I have an opinion on the FLDS ordeal in Texas.

Now I'll let you know, I am all for strict punishment to anyone who abuses children. In fact, I think our laws are not severe enough for those who abuse children, both sexually and physically. I think that these crimes are the most heinous of crimes, save it be murder of children. Our current laws are not severe enough punishment for these abominable acts of abuse. So I'm torn with this nonsense down in Texas with the FLDS folks. However, I am not comfortable with some of the things the law has done in Texas. The law has gone in to these FLDS homes in San Angelo, Texas and taken all of the children, over 400, from their parents because of one phone call reporting abuse. It is a little scary. At what point do we say, "Enough is enough!" These kids need to be with their parents. I'm not saying return a 14 year old bride to her old husband, but I'm saying let the other kids be with their mothers. I have four children. I can't imagine how hard it would be for them to be taken away from their mother, put into a foreign place where they are surrounded by unfamiliar people, and are not being told when they can go home. I don't like it and I think the law has gone too far. Just because these folks are different than we are, does not give anyone the right to go in and start tearing families apart. Again, if there is abuse involved with certain individuals, if laws are being broken where young underage girls are being married to older men, then yes, by all means, get the law in there and take action. However, it doesn't seem like this is the case with every one of these young children that are in state custody. This is very difficult, and it's easy for me to be critical when I'm hundreds of miles away and don't know all the details, but I do know that little children need their mothers, and that it is in a mother's DNA to take care of her children. I don't think that all of these kids were being abused.

Now I also need to clear something up here since many of my friends and customers outside of Utah are confused about who the FLDS are and if they are involved with the LDS or Mormons. The answer is NO. They are not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or The Mormons (called LDS or Latter-day Saints). The FLDS are Fundamentalists that believe in Polygamy, something that the LDS Church denounced over 100 years ago. It was over 100 years ago that the FLDS broke from the main religion and started their own offshoot. The LDS Church does not recognize the FLDS as members of their Church, and the FLDS do not recognize the LDS prophet as their prophet. The FLDS are found (obviously in Texas) and in southern Utah in Hildale, UT and Northern Arizona in Colorado City, AZ. They practice plural marriage and observe a strict dress code.

I personally have no problem with Polygamy, except that it is illegal. I would have no problem with it being legalized. I think that it is possible for these families to live good lives and raise good children as polygamists. However, I have serious problems with underage girls being forced to marry an older guy. Again, I have no mercy for these monsters. But if consenting adults want to live a married life together and have children, even dozens of them, I'm fine with that. If the woman is happy with the situation where her husband has other wives, then so be it. I don't see where the government should have a problem with it. Let's legalize it and let these people live their lives. But, and this is a BIG BUT, the minute you start trying to arrange marriages and the women are actually under aged girls, then you've got to face the consequences of the law. Period.

Let's go about this with compassion. Let's treat these people the way we would want to be treated. Protect the children if they truly are in danger, otherwise get them back to their mothers. Remember they are all innocent until proven guilty - let's don't give up that right.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/
Orem, Utah

Follow Your Dreams!

2008-04-04T15:47:00.005-06:00

Today I was talking to someone from my insurance agent's office about life insurance. He was a young guy, not in his "career" yet. He was envious that I was living my dream - having my own business. He said that after he gets a degree in accounting, he wanted to start his own company. He didn't know what, but he wanted to run his own company.

Here is where I feel old. (is that a theme in these blogs? Yeah, I guess so.) I've started many businesses over the years. Some part-time hobbies. Others full fledged businesses. Some failed. Two were successful. I think there are those people who like the thrill of going off on their own. They have the entrepreneur spirit. Others like the comfort of a steady paycheck, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, most people I know think I'm insane for leaving a good job to start my own company, something that I've done twice now. I left a well paying job with benefits, both times, to go off and start my own company. To some it is brilliant. To others it is pure insanity.

But that is just me. I see opportunity everywhere. I can't help but thinking of how this or that would make a good business. I have to force myself not to start other businesses while growing Professional Cable, my primary business. I see opportunity all around. If I could duplicate me (and my money) I'd have twenty businesses running all at once. But, alas, I am only one me, and must focus all of my efforts on my baby, Professional Cable.

For example, in Highland, Utah where I live, we have one Subway sandwiches, and one Wendy's. Nothing else to choose from along the fast food genre. Two things that are bank waiting to happen. 1. A good sandwich shop like a Gandolfo's or Jimmy Johns. Subway makes the worst sandwiches of any sandwich shop I've ever been to. I prefer 7 Eleven sandwiches, made the day before (if you're lucky) to the garbage that Subway puts out. I am a big sandwich guy. I love a good sammy. But, Subway is ALWAYS consistently under-par. I've never left there going "That was a good sandwich"! Even on a good day it's mediocre. So a good sandwich shop would thrive. 2. A bagel shop like Einstein. There is jack squat going on in the morning in Highland (and Alpine). It's begging for something along these lines for the hungry commuter that needs to grab something for the road. How do I know? I get my diet coke every morning wishing that I could grab something quick. Not an option.

So anyway, that is just one area that I've noticed has an opportunity for the entrepreneur. There are countless others. Most would take some dough.

But back to my young insurance helper today. He is spending good time and money getting a degree that he really has no interest in. I can't blame him. I too was an accounting major at one point. For me, it was BORING as could be. To quote Glenn Beck, blood would shoot out my eyes every time I would look at those massive balance sheets and income statements. (We did it all by paper and a calculator back in the early 90s) No fancy computers helping us out at the college level. I took several accounting classes at Salt Lake Community College, then later at Brigham Young University before I realized that I would rather be a crash test dummy than be a full-time accountant. Now, don't get me wrong. It's a great profession. My CPA makes a lot of money off me. But I NEED HIM like I need me my diet coke - because I ain't going to do his job. (refer to Glenn Beck again).

So if you're a young unmarried kid with the world ahead of you, GO FOR YOUR DREAMS! Figure out a business that you could start, maybe get a mentor, and GO FOR IT! What do you have to lose really?

Well, in the pursuit of Jason Bringhurst's happiness, I've been very glad that I took the road less travelled, like my friend Scott Peck.

The world is big. The opportunities are endless. Within the past few weeks, we've sold cables to China, Romania, Germany, and India. I've built a good company and have good partners, including my CPA, and that is a formula for success. Whats more, I'm following my dreams. Dreams of cables albeit, but still my dreams of owning my own business.

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

20 years? Are you kidding me?

2008-04-01T08:13:00.006-06:00

I've heard of it happening to other people, but I never dreamed it would happen to me. Then like a boot to the head, it did. I'm getting old. My 20 Year High School Reunion Is This Year!!! What is that all about? I'm in shock and awe... Less awe really... Much more shock.

So I signed up to the old High School reunion page, filled out a profile, and told everyone in a couple paragraphs what I've been up to for the past 20 years. (I had to leave a few things out because of the space limits). So then I posted a few recent pictures of me, me and my wife Jen, and me and some of the kids. I then went and read some of the other profiles that had been posted. I think it is great when people only post pictures of their kids. That tells me they've gained a ton of weight or they're bald (or both). Me, I'm doing a fine job in both areas. My hairline is receding without my permission. My weight is out of control. I'm a big dude and I need to shed some poundage. But, I carefully selected some photos that don't make me look like a drunk grizzly bear that has just fattened himself up for the winter hibernation, and posted them. (no photoshopping either). So I say, post away people! We want to see what you've been up to. Most of us have gained weight and lost hair, and I haven't even mentioned the men yet! :)

So other than that freaking me out, and making me reconsider that Stack Attack from Wendy's, life is good. March was a surprisingly busy month. We continue to build our OEM base of customers which is our core focus as a company. April is already looking like a record breaking month as we have a lot of OEM shipments going out in April. The OEM business is tricky. You need to have the best price or you lose the business. However, if you bid the lowest price, you also better have quality cables to back it up, or you lose the business. Yet so many bids come through where they don't consider the quality issue, and they go with some unknown overseas company, and when there is a quality complaint, it falls on deaf ears. That is the advantage to Professional Cable's OEM division. We have the same price as the overseas trading company or factory that you would normally deal with, but we hold our factory to American standards of quality control. Our products must meet the RoHS directives. Our HDMI, FireWire, and USB cables are certified. We aren't cutting corners. Occasionally we will lose a bid to a lower price. But our customers know once they start doing business with us, that they can rely on us to give them a competitive price, and that our quality will meet or exceed their requirements. We back our OEM cables with a lifetime warranty. You don't get that from other companies. If there is a problem, you get to pick up a phone and talk to someone in English that is on your time zone.. (mountain standard... close enough anyway).

So the OEM cable business is good. We are in so many industries, that while maybe one industry is feeling the pains of the slowing economy, our customers in the other industries are still booming. We also have international accounts that actually are taking advantage of the weaker dollar. The Euro can buy more cables now days. Our company is a global operation tied to economies in Asia, Europe, Canada, India, Mexico, South America, and the USA. Our customer base is not just in the technology industry. I'm not saying that we are recession proof, I'm just glad that we aren't only tied to a small segment of the US economy.

Before I go, I should mention that Professional Cable has monthly specials. This is a good opportunity to try out a product that you haven't purchased before or to stock up on a product that you like because we really slash prices on these items for the month. It helps expose our broad product range to all of our customers excepting the OEM accounts. For more information, please contact us. sales@professionalcable.com

Until next time
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

Stick shifts and safety belts

2008-03-30T14:37:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite Cake songs is "Stick shifts and Safety Belts." I love cars and songs about cars from one of my favorite bands, well it's a recipe for a hit in my book. Today during church (I am a Christian of the LDS faith, or Mormon as most people know us), I was thinking about how the Spirit of God works with us much as a car that is tuned up. When the Spirit is communicating with us, we are humming a long and in tune with God. But, just as an old carburated car, after time, our timing gets a little off. I have taken the distributor cap in my hand on a running car (my old 1975 Chevy Nova - which was my first car) and rotated it a little clockwise listening to the sound of the engine. There is a sweet spot where it would run really well. Turn it too far one way, and it would start to miss, or run rough. Turn it too far the other way, it would do the same thing. This is how you adjust the timing on a car. You loosen the distributor and rotate it slightly. The right way to do it is not by ear, though that is how most people did it, but with a timing gun. Now it's been a long time since I've done this, but from memory, you have a notch on the main pulley on the crank shaft and one on block. You mark it so it's easy to see. Then with the timing gun pointed at it, it freezes the image like a strobe light would freeze me dancing to Depeche Mode back at the Ritz dance club in Salt Lake in 1986. (Wow! That was random!) And then you adjust clockwise or counterclockwise the distributor to get the timing correct. Again, you'll hear it as well. The timing gun is connected to the battery and has a clamp that goes around spark plug #1. As you know, I didn't continue my career as a mechanic, so my knowledge is really basic, but you get the idea. So over time, cars need to adjust the timing. New cars do this through on board computers. We, like these great cars, need to be fine tuned very often or our timing gets off and we find it hard to be in tune with the Spirit of the Lord.

What we do to get in tune withe the Spirit is a little different than what we do to get the car in tune. We need daily personal prayer with our Heavenly Father. We need to feast upon the words of Christ by reading in the scriptures. (by scriptures I believe in both the Bible and Book of Mormon.) We need to repent of our sins and follow Christ. This is a constant process because on a daily basis the world draws our thoughts and actions away from the Lord. We get our minds filled with junk, some good, but just not important, and some things that are just bad. If we don't tune ourselves often, we lose the Spirit, and God finds it hard to communicate with us. When doing a tune up on my own car back at Hillcrest High School, in auto shop, I took out the six spark plugs in my 1975 Nova, (straight six) and saw a lot of carbon build up on each plug. My teacher showed me how to clean and gap each spark plug. The carbon build up was just what happened while driving the car. The car would not run properly with all the build up because the spark plug could not spark properly - the whole idea behind the internal combustion engine. Again, things change. 1. Nobody wastes time cleaning and gapping spark plugs now days. You just buy new ones. 2. If you are like me, you just have the dealer or your trusted mechanic do it, because the cars are complicated computer driven machines now and you don't want to mess anything up.

Well, this has been a more spiritual post, but as this blog is not endorsed by my company, this is purely Jason Bringhurst speaking here. And after all, my religion is part of who I am and does make up some of the basic philosophies of our company culture. We strive to be an honest good company, which in turn makes both our suppliers and customers want to do business with us. They like doing business with us because we are fair, understanding and honest. There ain't nothing wrong with that. It's just good business practice. In the words of Joseph Smith, "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

Until next time -
Jason Bringhurst
The Cable Guy
http://www.professionalcable.com/

Fiber Optics - The coming of light speed

2008-03-28T23:33:00.007-06:00

Fiber optic cables have been around for a long time now. However, we recently have seen a big increase in sales.

Fiber cables use glass or fibers designed to carry light down the cable rather than copper used in traditional cables, that carry electrical pulses (0 1 0 1 0 0 1, binary codes sent in electrical signals). Information travels at the speed of light, literally, on fiber optic wires. Fiber optic wire is better suited for long distance data transmission because the speed is greater and the signal loss is a lot less than copper wire. Copper wire's enemy is EMI or electromagnetic interference. When you are sending light down fibers, you don't have any issues with EMI. The light is actually sent down the core or middle of the wire for optimal transmission. MMF is multi-mode fiber optics where SMF is single-mode fiber optics. You'll see multi-mode used in shorter distance fiber patch cords. Single mode is often used on longer length cables, but can be used in short lengths also.

Our fiber optic cables at Professional Cable are manufactured with Corning wire. They are known in the industry as having the best fiber optic wire. Through our experience, we've found the Corning fiber wire to be the most reliable.

Here are some facts about Corning Fiber Optic Wire:

Corning invented the first low-loss optical fiber
Corning invented vapor deposition process for fiber manufacturing
20 new fibers and 20+ fiber enhancements in less than 20 years
More fiber deployed than any other fiber manufacturer
World-class research and development for telecommunications
World's first optical fiber test facility
More than 125 U.S. optical fiber patents in the last 3 years
ISO 9000:2000 and TL 9000 certified

These are just a few of the reason's that Professional Cable has partnered with Corning as our fiber optic wire supplier.

So why the huge increase over the past few years in fiber optic cables? Well, one reason is that copper prices keep skyrocketing. it is becoming more expensive to manufacture copper cables, while price is decreasing in manufacturing fiber optic cables because they are becoming more common. The old supply and demand of Economics 101 is taking effect here, and more and more OEM engineers and manufacturers are looking at Fiber Optics as a viable replacement for the old copper-based systems.

When fiber optic cables first started showing up in the market place, they were extremely expensive, and because they required special tools and equipment to manufacture, most cable companies were not equipped and trained to make these cables. Now as they are becoming more mainstream, and components and tools are more readily available in the marketplace, smaller custom-cable houses can do in-house production of multi-mode and single-mode fiber optic patch cords. Professional Cable has domestic manufacturing of Fiber Optic cables, and we have the ability to manufacture most variations of Fiber cables.

Until next time -

The Cable Guy

Orem, Utah

http://www.professionalcable.com/

Guitar Hero III

2008-03-28T16:37:00.005-06:00

So I'm a victim of Guitar Hero III. My kids have been begging us to get it after playing it at their cousin's house (why must their cousin's always introduce them to the latest expensive gadgets? Why can't they introduce them to collecting rocks, or finding potato bugs, or even better, raking up leaves, or sweeping the sidewalk?) But if the truth be told, I've been jonesing for Guitar Hero III myself. I must say that I dig it. I've already passed the "easy" level, and I had a ton of fun doing it. This is much more than a video game. I'm really not into video games a lot. We have a Wii (thanks again to my kids discovering the Wii at their cousin's place), and I enjoy the sports games because you get to do actions with the game e.g. boxing you punch in the air and the player on the TV gets knocked out. How cool is that? So we get the Guitar Hero III for the kids ;-) and I stay up late every night acting like a rock-star. There is something very cool about jamming to one of your favorite songs, and it seemingly sounding awesome because you are hitting the right notes (green, red, yellow, blue, and orange) Yeah, I do it standing up and hit the whammy bar, shredding like a rock-n-roll mega-star. It's the coolest thing a 37 year old married guy with four children can do on a week night.

In work news, this has been an interesting week. We've been adding customers and new products every week. We've recently added a lot of new wall plates. We have a wall plate for DVI, VGA, HDMI, RCA, CAT6 and CAT5e Keystone Jacks. We've been custom fabricating some networking / AV wall-plates for one of our clients that is doing some projector installations. This particular face plate has one VGA Female pass-through connector (basically a gender changer) and an RCA pass through connector (also a female gender changer) and we mount both to the wall plate. So the customer gets the wallplate pre-loaded with the connectors and they are ready to install. Yeah, we're a pretty great company.

Until next time -
The Cable Guy
Orem, Utah
www.professionalcable.com

Collective Soul - Thanks Novell!

2008-03-20T21:15:00.003-06:00

So I went to the Engery Solutions Arena (could we find a longer name?) in Salt Lake City, UT last night (I still think that I went to the Delta Center, but nobody would agree with me) I saw Collective Soul live in concert. Wow! Do they know how to put on a show! It was a private show. Novell, a software mega-company in Provo, Utah hired them for Brainshare - their annual show where they bring in their partners to talk about code and the evils of Microsoft. (I know very little about software, so you'll have to excuse me. I'm sure they do more than that... right?). It's the type of show that really smart people enjoy. They are probably all blogging about how cool Linux is and how tricked out their geek sleds are. Me, I'm still thinking about Collective Soul and how deep down, I really would like to be on stage jamming on an electric guitar with them while the crowd cheers, "Yeah, Jason! Yeah!!!!" But alas, it was not I on the stage. (Please excuse the previous ADD moment... the official blog does not endorse ADD moments that come on throughout the blog for no apparent reason.)

Like I was saying, these guys really rocked. I was a little concerned that they would come in, and just sing a few token songs, collect their check, and check out. But that was not the case. They rocked and rocked much to the delight of this 37 year old who was fondly remembering teenage days of going to see Oingo Boingo and Depeche Mode in concert. I'm not quite as hip now. Nobody pulled out a lighter. There were just a lot of cell phones busily snapping photos. Boy things have changed. A girl in front of me was texting thousands of friends with one hand giving them an update on how cool the concert was... of course I doubt she saw much of it. And how do they text so fast with one hand? Man, I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous... But I digress.

So I was sitting watching Collective Soul perform, and I thought how cool it would be some day to have Professional Cable entertaining thousands of customers by bringing in some hip band to play. I then wondered if it would still be fun if my company were that big. Right now, I love my company. I know exactly what is going on with everything. I know what big accounts we are trying to land. I know what customers are behind on payments. I know the name of our UPS driver. It's a good size company. Not too big. Not to little. Big enough to take care of many very large accounts - many international. Yet small enough to service the local market. In my opinion it's the ideal size.

I enjoy sales. Because of the size of my company, I still get out in the field and see customers. I am not in a board room with shareholders. I'm out getting a feel for the market, talking to customers, and working with reps. I get a lot of ideas from customers. I take these ideas back back to the office, and then I implement the good ones.

So while Collective Soul was really unforgettable. I don't see Professional Cable bringing in a famous rock band any time soon. (All of our customers will be sad to read this) The good news is we will still have that local feel and great service that our customers expect from us. (I know that there is at least one customer out there saying "I'd give up a little of that great service for tickets to Collective Soul." To you I say... "Sorry!"... "Maybe we can get together and play Guitar Hero III instead." :)

Until next time -
Jason Bringhurst - The Cable Guy

The Local Advantage

2008-03-18T23:52:00.003-06:00

Almost every week I hear from one of my customers that it is such a huge benefit to have my warehouse located locally where they can send someone by to pick up some urgent cables. We have offered this will call service to all local accounts, and every day we get resellers, installers, and even distributors coming by to pick up product that is needed immediately. Professional Cable carries a large inventory of the most common items that they need - bulk CAT6 wire, HDMI cables, SVGA cables, CAT5e cables, etc. In addition to these common items, we carry the harder to find things, like PCMCIA to Express card adapters, gender changers, DVI to HDMI converters, etc. We offer good prices, but I don't think any service we provide can compare to the benefit of being local.

I used to work for System Connection in Provo. At the time they were one of the largest cable manufactures in the USA. Even larger than Belkin for some time. Rick McCloskey the president had a philosophy that I still think is great. He wanted to become the first world-wide local cable company. Unfortunately this never came to pass. But his idea was genius. I can't compete with a company in Ohio, say Cables To Go, when it comes to selling to resellers in Ohio. I'm not there. My pricing might be better (and it is). My products might be equally good or better (which they are) and my service might be superior (which it is). However, when that value-added reseller needs 20 patch cables today for an installation and they did not bring in the cables in advance, who do you think will get the order? That's right. The local cable company.

I'm fortunate to live in a hot-bed of technology companies. Novell is 10 minutes to the south. Iomega is 45 minutes to the north. Omniture, Altirus, and countless other smaller technology companies are all close by. And who do you think they are going to turn to every time they need a cable? That's right. Good old Professional Cable. They know that whatever it is they need, we'll have it. We are the Wal-Mart of cables & adapters. You know when you need a light bulb, some laundry detergent, some cereal, and a pair of socks, that you can go to Wal-Mart and get it all in one stop.

For our customers in Utah, we are only a day away via UPS. An account in St. George, Logan, or Sandy knows that if they order a USB hub today, it will be in their store tomorrow. The further away from the target area, the harder it is to compete.

Now we have many many customers on the east coast. Luckily for us, these customers find that the pricing, quality, and service are worth the wait. But I'm sure that for the urgent needs, I probably lose out to some small local company. I can't compete with same day delivery or will call. That is what Rick McCloskey knew. He needed to take his company to the large cities where lots of resellers and VAR partners would be located. Put stock there in satellite warehouse, and sales reps in the field. It's a good idea. I know that Belkin has opened other warehouses in other cities. It's hard to compete with Chicago-based Tripp Lite if you are located in Compton, CA. So Belkin took the company to the customers.

I've mentioned a lot of other cable companies. I know my competition well. We are adding new customers every day because we are a little different than the competition. Our products are priced well for the savvy VARs who know that you pay way too much for the big names. Our customers know that we offer a life-time warranty on our cables and that our quality is equal or superior to our competitors' products. But what I hear more than anything is that our service cannot be matched. We're smaller than most of these mega-companies, and our customers really appreciate the support that we give them and they don't sacrifice anything.

If you'd like to add a little more margin to your invoices and deal directly with experts in the cable industry who care about your business, please call Professional Cable 801-928-8844. We'll pick up the phone and help you like no other cable company in the world. Professional Cable.

Copper is king

2008-03-14T22:36:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I was on a sales call and the would-be customer was looking over the price list that I had given to him. He then commented on how extremely over-priced the bulk CAT5e wire was. I was surprised because I knew that we were practicaly giving the stuff away. As it turns out, he was still thinking of the prices of bulk wire 5 years ago. I had to think for a minute. Yeah, compared to the prices of 5 years ago, this was high!

As you might know, copper prices have sky rocketted over the past few years - as have other precious metals. Now bulk wire consists of mainly copper and PVC (plastic). Unfortuneately plastics and fuels have also gone up. What's more is fuel prices have gone through the roof, and 1,000 feet of wire is very heavy - adding more cost to the box of wire as it costs a fortune to tranport. Lastly as if all of these things weren't enough, the wire is made where? China. And what has happened to the US dollar? It's value has gone down - thus making goods purchased in China more expensive. So, YES! The wire is a lot more expensive than it was 5 years ago. And it doesn't show any signs of getting better. In fact right now, those who have stock have huge advantages over those who are getting a fresh supply in, because the stock in the warehouse was probably purchased at last year's costs. That new fresh stock was bought with all the new higher costs that I've just outlined. The point of this ranting is that your bulk wire costs are just going to keep going up for now.

If you are looking for a good price on bulk CAT6 wire, either plenum or PVC, you might want to contact Professional Cable in Orem, Utah. They have a large inventory of wire and a lot of it was purchased at last year's costs, so the full impact of the next round of price increases has not been felt. Professional Cable stocks solid core and stranded core wire as well as ready-made fully-molded patch cords in Red, Blue, Yellow, Grey... or is it Gray? Green, Pink, Purple, White, and Orange. See www.professionalcable.com

Now as you probably know, I am the president of Professional Cable, and therefore I am a little biased. But, I know the market, and I know that all of us cable manufacturers are feeling the pressures of the falling dollar, the high fuel costs (UPS keeps adding fuel surcharges that quietly erode already slim margins), and the ever-rising raw copper costs. Companies like us don't have the margins to shoulder the increases, so distributors, OEMs, and resellers feel the pain along with us. Eventually it makes its way down to the consumer and like every thing else that costs more money, the cables on the shelf cost more. The overall effect on the economy? Things are costing us more and more.

Well, that's the story on copper, and the problem that the factories are facing in China is that there just isn't enough supply. Who knew that back in my Econ class at BYU that I would actually have a painful realization one day of what that guy Adam Smith was talking about. Supply and demand. Hmmm. Seems like he was on to something. I think that he was so popular because he had an invisible hand or something.

To get a current bid on bulk wire, contact Professional Cable http://www.professionalcable.com/wire/bulkwire.html Go on! "Wire" you waiting? Find out if they can save you some money!

Until next time -

The Cable Guy

HDMI Splitters vs. Switches

2008-03-14T14:43:00.004-06:00

I hear a lot of questions about HDMI splitters and switches now days. Now that you have your fancy HD TV and DVD player, you actually want to use it. However a lot of these great big massive TVs that have incredible screens, only have one itty bitty HDMI connection on the back. Genius! So, there has arisen a need for HDMI switches, which allow you to connect multiple devices to that lovely TV.

For example. If I have a cool gaming system, such as an X-Box or Wii, and I want it connected to my ginormous TV to play Guitar Hero III, I have to unplug my HD DVD player and plug in the HDMI cable from the game station.... How cool is that? Not very. So companies like WhataCable! in Orem, Utah sell HDMI switches, which increase the number of ports from one to four or five! This allows multiple cool devices to be connected to that one mega-TV. They even come with a remote control to easily switch between your favorite season of "The Office" to Wii Sports without you getting up out of your comfy laz-y-boy chair.... (if this all seems too real, well what can I say? I've been there). Here is the link to the 4-Port HDMI switch that will make your life better. http://www.whatacable.com/hdmi4-wayautoswitch.aspx For about $69 you will save the wear and tear on your big investments and on the HDMI cables.

Now to the splitters. This is also a hot little item, but for different reasons. In this case, you really dig your new HDMI device.... let's say it's a DVD player. And you are going to a trade show and thought that it would be fun to run a DVD at your booth. But, you only want to run one DVD player, and have that same image broadcast out to several TVs (monitors) at the same time. So, you need a???? Splitter! Yes. Very good. Now for a simple set up with two TVs (displays) and cords that are not going more than 6 feet each, there is an economical solution from WhataCable!. Their item # HDMI-SPLIT takes the device output (DVD player) and splits the signal into two HDMI signals. You simply then connect two HDMI cables to the splitter, run them to your TVs and voila! you have simultaneous broadcast of the DVD on both TVs. BUT... If you are running longer length cables, or if you need it split out to more than just two TVs, you will need a POWERED HDMI SPLITTER. And Yes, WhataCable! will "hook you up" with them too. (sorry, cable guys just love to say "hook you up".) I will provide links to each:

2-way HDMI Splitter Cable
http://www.whatacable.com/hdmisplitter.aspx
This will set you back about $15

2-way powered HDMI Splitter
http://www.whatacable.com/hdmi_splitter_box_1_in_2_out_with_power.aspx
This will set you back about $129

4-way powered HDMI Splitter http://www.whatacable.com/hdmi_splitter_box_1_in_4_out_with_power.aspx
This will set you back about $139

8-way powered HDMI Splitter http://www.whatacable.com/hdmi_splitter_box_1_in_8_out_with_power-1.aspx
This will set you back about $250

Until next time,

The Cable Guy