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See the Best USB Ports in 2020 for Charging

February 24, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

USB ports allow you to connect multiple USB devices at the same time to charge, sync, and/or connect. Every port works a little differently, some only charging while others offer direct connection to a laptop or computer.

These multi-purpose ports are easy to install, are usually very portable, and are getting used by more and more households, especially multi-person dwellings such as condos, student houses, and families.

If you have three or more devices in your household that need to be charged weekly, make charging accessible for yourself and anyone else in the home. These are the best USB ports in Canada in 2020, ranging from smaller models to a premiere 13-port high speed hub.

4-port USB 2.0 high speed portable hub

If you want a multi-port connection to have with you and your laptop, this portable high speed 4-port USB hub’s a recommended buy. It’s all plug-and-play and is very easy to use. It will turn a single USB port into four.

PrimeCables® 4-Port USB 2.0 High Speed Portable Hub

$4.85

Monoprice 4-port USB 2.0 passive hub

This 4-port USB hub square works on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems, and is a perfect USB expansion in a space-saving design. It’s self-powering, 2.0 ports, is backwards compatible, and has overcurrent protection. Why it’s included on this list is the convenience in its design.

Monoprice® 4-Port USB 2.0 Passive HUB

$5.51

72-watt 10-port USB smart charging hub

For households with four or more family members, this 10-port USB smart hub is the solution to arguments over who can take the plug to charge their phone. This is one of the most stable options, has a fast data transfer, and saves on space as well with holders built into the design to keep safe your smartphones, tablets, and other charging devices. The only drawbacks are that it’s not very portable and for heavy-duty use, you may want to check out another option on our list.

PrimeCables® 72 W 10-Port USB Smart Charging Hub

$39.99

12-port USB hub circle

If you have a workstation, gaming station, music studio, video studio, or simply have a large amount of USB devices, here’s a way to connect them all. You get 12 ports – that’s right, 12 friggin’ ports! It’s in a circular design so you’re saving space. It’s relatively expensive, compared to standard USB hubs above 10 ports. The only drawbacks to this 12-port USB hub circle design are it requires an AC adapter and with twelve connections, that’s a lot of cables to get knotted up pretty fast.

Monoprice® 12-Port USB Hub Circle

$29.99

13-port USB hub with power switch

The ultimate USB hub in Canada has got to be this. What you’re looking at is a small yet very powerful 13-port USB hub. It is travel-friendly and portable which is why it’s preferred by many in professions who require portable USB connections. They’re all 2.0 USB ports which means quality charging. You can also use these to connect printers, external hard drives, and all sorts of devices. Equipped with a DC power adapter and switch, this is a whole new way to use your USB connections.

13-port USB hub with power switch

$16.49

34% OFF
until March 3, 2020

How Do I Use Cage Nuts to Mount My IT Equipment

February 19, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

“What are cage nuts?” “How do you use cage nuts?” “Can I use another type of nut to mount my IT equipment?” These are all very common questions we receive about the hardware recommended for mounts. In this article, we hope to shine a light on what are cage nuts, how they are used, and why they are considered necessary for mounting equipment.

What are cage nuts?

Cage nuts are used to mount IT equipment in server racks. Cage nuts are easily identifiable through their square hole design. They are commonplace in IT environments. Cage nuts protect the weight of the equipment from stripping the threads.

How a cage nut works is by housing a standard nut in a case with a spring. A cage nut has two wings that, when pinched together, allow it to be inserted into a square hole on mounting equipment. The wings then release and the cage nut is held in place.

M6 Cage Nuts & Mounting Screws for Server Rack

$4.99

What does M6 mean on a cage nut?

Cage nuts generally come in two standards – M5 and M6. The more advanced and heavy-duty of the two standards are M6 cage nuts. M6 are heavier and more robust. Comparatively, M5 are designed for light and medium equipment only. Here are some more advantages to using cage nuts for IT mounts.

They permit a choice in nut and bolt size.
If a screw is over-tightened, the nut can be replaced.
Cage nuts are very easy to use on materials that are thin or soft and/or which there is difficulty creating threading.

How do I install a cage nut?

In some cases, you may need a slot screwdriver to help install a cage nut. That said, there are mounting tools to help with cage nuts. To uninstall a cage nut, you will have to release the nut wings. It should then come right out.

What type of screws do you use with cage nuts?

Larger M6 cage nuts are for weight and so this must be kept in mind when selecting screws. Ultimately, it does not matter what kind of screw you use with a cage nut as long as it’s rated appropriately for the nut being used with it. You may find it more advantageous if you’re purchasing cage nuts to get them in a kit with mounting screws.

Where can I buy cage nuts in Canada?

Buy cage nuts in Canada from PrimeCables. They have a 10-pack currently on sale for $4.49 complete with mounting screws for a square hold server rack. If you don’t have one already, PrimeCables also has server racks to mount which can be paired in a purchase. The cage nuts available from PrimeCables are made from low carbon steel with a black oxide finish.

A High-Quality Laptop Table No Student or Entrepreneur Can Live Without

February 18, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

As a student or entrepreneur, the work-life balance thing is hard. It’s not every day that things magically work out so that time at home isn’t somehow impacted by your scholastic or professional commitments.

They say, you shouldn’t be doing work on your laptop in bed. For some of us, we know better. Sometimes you just have to. Whether it’s in bed, on the couch, or sitting on the floor, finding the right surface to set your laptop on is a problem not easily solved. Enter in your portable laptop table.

A laptop table is exactly what you’d expect it to be. It’s a small, comfortably sized table that perfectly suits the size of your laptop. You can take it with you to bed or set it up on the couch with you. Students can do their homework, write essays, and do research on it. Small business owners and entrepreneurs can check their financials, author reports, and monitor their companies. The experience of using a laptop in bed doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.

What if we said you could have a height adjustable laptop bed table – yes please! With the adjustability component, this makes it easy to angle everything ergonomically so that you’re comfortable and not having to strain to type. You can even adjust the top surface so that it’s angled exactly where it should be as not to put any unnecessary pressure on your hands.

Even though it is a laptop table meant for laptops, it can also double as a hard surface to do paperwork on or even be used as a breakfast tray for snacking. If you want to watch a movie, take your laptop table with you to bed and settle in with a snack or your favourite beverage. Leisure or work, whatever it is, a table like this is extremely handy to have.

This is especially true for those of us who like taking our work home with us. Trying to work on couches and beds only leads to us feeling physically sore. The back aches come before long, alongside whatever else bad posture does to your body. A laptop table for business gives you stability as well as an optimum height at which to work at. Also, if for whatever reason, you can’t leave your bed, you can have a table to do your work at, make video calls, eat, read, watch videos, and more.

Finally! A laptop workstation you can take to bed with you! Buy your multi-purpose height adjustable laptop table in Canada from PrimeCables today. See the benefits yourself and prioritize comfortability.

PrimeCables® Ajustable Laptop Table

$19.99

How to Create a Study Space at Home For Your Child

February 17, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

Every child in school deserves to have a safe, quiet, dedicated space for them to complete homework at. A child who has to settle for doing homework at the kitchen table isn’t going to have the same focus as if they were alone in their own space.

In every home, there’s almost always a place to set up a study for a young student. Examples include a loft, an open closet, in the hallway, or even a quiet corner. The only thing you need to mark an area as a study space is a desk and chair.

Parents concerned about the long-term health impact of prolonged sitting thankfully have ergonomic desk options for children to choose from. The advantage of an ergonomic desk is primarily that it’s height adjustable. This is excellent for a growing child as the desk can be increasingly raised the older they get. Secondly, the height adjustability aspect means they can work while sitting or standing, minimizing the impact that sitting has on their health.

Does a child really need an ergonomic desk?

While a child may not need an ergonomic desk, it helps to build positive habits. Adults who experience aches and pains from desk jobs, this comes from slouching and poor posture. These habits are learned very early on and then get carried through for decades. An ergonomic desk cuts through all that, teaching how to work at a desk long before a child turns to adulthood.

An ergonomic desk also looks pretty cool. It’s fun, multi-functional, and tiltable which is an excellent feature for any child artists or designers out there. It’s easy to draw, write, and read at, and it gives them their own space. That’s the really important part of creating an inviting study space – it’s the child’s own.

What else is there to know about setting up a child’s study space?

The spot you choose for this study space should be conveniently accessible. You want it to be somewhere a child can focus, concentrate, and enjoy so no TVs and no distractions. It should be a place that is organized, preferably with places to put paper and keep pens. It doesn’t hurt to provide some storage options as well as a trash can of some kind. Also, encourage the child to personalize their space. If you want, you can make it a project for you and them, and ask them what they would like in their study space. Get them excited!

All of this starts with an ergonomic desk for children to build around. It begins with a great kids’ desk! Give them a study space to call their own, and keep it focused and concentrated, comfortable, and well-lit. Get your desk today at PrimeCables.

PrimeCables® Children’s Multi-Functional Ergonomic Height Adjustable Desk

$129.99

What is a Smart TV Android Box – read here!

February 14, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

Have you always wanted a smart TV – for as low as $35, you can buy one. You won’t need to replace your flat-screen to make your wish a reality. It’s all done through a smart TV box.

What is a smart TV box?

A smart TV box offers the same technology that is built into many smart TVs. In a sense, it is an operating system and media player. Instead of being located inside your flat-screen, it’s completely external. This would be similar to the difference between an internal and external drive.

How does an Android TV box work?

A smart TV box connects to your TV through an HDMI cable. It requires an Internet connection which means you can either go wired with Ethernet cable or set it up via WiFi.

Your smart TV box uses an Android operating system. This system was created by Google for smartphones. It is open source and free, which means it is very cheap for manufacturers to produce hardware that uses it.

What do I need to connect a smart TV box?

The only thing you need to connect a smart TV box is an HDMI cable and Internet. You will also want to make sure your flat-screen has an HDMI input to accept another wired connection.

Another note we want to make is that not all Android boxes are 4K, unfortunately. Some come 1080p and even in 720p. If you want to watch and stream 4K media, you need to ensure you purchase a 4K Android box.

What can I do with a smart TV box?

A smart TV box turns your regular flat-screen into a media and entertainment center. Using an Android operating system, you can stream media from your laptop or smartphone to your TV without additional hardware. No wires. Play movies, binge TV shows, and more.

An Android box doesn’t just bring with it a media center, either. You can connect Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, surf the Internet, Netflix, Hulu, download games, download apps. Do you have an Android smartphone – Android boxes work very similarly. The operating system is very similar, right down to giving you access to the Google Play store.

What is the best Android TV box?

There are several Android TV box models out there. You do want to ensure the smart TV box purchased fits your needs. Look for a model that has 4K video quality and, if you download content, H.264/H.265 capabilities. Two of the best Android boxes in Canada are the X96 mini 4K Android Box and the MXQ-4K Android smart TV box. They are both available today from PrimeCables and on sale!

PrimeCables® X96 Mini 4K Android 7.0.1 Smart TV Box

$49.99

PrimeCables® MXQ-4K Android 8.1 Smart TV Box

$34.99

How Do You Use Screw-On Wire Connectors – Your Guide

February 14, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

You may look at a product like screw-on wire connectors and ironically, not even make the connection that connecting wire is what they’re used for. Manufactured from UL Nylon 66, a spring’s inside. For those that know how to use them, they know the simplicity of its function. Assuming you’ve arrived here though because you’re looking to make sure you’re doing it right, here’s a quick guide on how to use screw-on wire connectors.

Wire connectors, first and foremost, have one purpose – to connect two or more wires together. Connectors can come in various sizes depending on the wire gage and number of wires one wants to connect. For any screw-on wire connectors, you want to ensure you have all your equipment and that the power is off. Once that’s done, we can get to work.

Strip the wires you want to connect. For two wires, you want usually about 1/2 inches. If you’ve got more than two wires to connect, strip each down to 3/4 to 1 inch.

Now you can align the frayed strands and connectors. Be sure to hold the wire ends together evenly.

Insert your wires into the connector and screw them on clockwise. Eventually, the connector’s going to stop twisting. This is perfect.

Lastly, lightly pull on each wire to ensure they are fully secured inside the connector. Assuming nothing comes out, you’re good to go. If a wire does loosen from inside your screw-on wire connectors, you will have to essentially loosen everything and start over. In some cases, you may need a different sized connector to maintain a proper connection, should this continue to happen.

It’s that easy. Wire connectors successfully placed with tighten low impedance connections, preventing wires from contacting other wires or exposed metal. Beyond how simple they are to use, the main advantage to screw-on wire connectors are that they prevent your electrical wire from faulting or short circuiting. This protects the integrity of the cable and anything that may connect to it.

Wire connectors like these are used in commercial buildings, apartment buildings, residential homes, and in industrial building power wiring all across Canada. Screw-on connectors are sometimes referred to as wire nuts, cone connectors, thimble connectors, or twist-ons. If there’s mention of any of these, they all mean the same thing. A ‘Marette’ is also the same thing as a screw-on wire connector.

If you are looking for screw-on wire connectors in Canada as well as other cable cutting and crimping tools, visit PrimeCables. We’ve got it all. High quality, reliable cable connection awaits!

PrimeCables® Screw-On Wire Connectors

$1.79

Should I Have a Smart Home – What to Buy to Get Started

February 13, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

Smart tech has come far. These days, having a smart home isn’t just something seen in movies. Anyone can essentially set up their condo, apartment, or detached house with affordable accessories that customize your home through smart tech.

Why we love smart tech is because it’s convenient. It equips your home with function it doesn’t already have. It also makes it easy on the user to monitor what’s going on at home or to relax after a stressful, busy day at work.

There are a lot of different smart home accessories to start with. If you’re a beginner or a little apprehensive about going all-out, one area is a WiFi smart socket. You take this, plug it in, and through an app on your smartphone you can turn the power on or off as needed. From the comfort of your own bed, for example, you can turn off lights, humidifiers, or similar things.

S31 WiFi Smart Socket

$8.88

Real time conmmation monitoring

Another affordable beginner smart home accessory is a motion sensor. Although you require a smart home hub to be able to use one, a motion sensor picks up any movement surrounding it, which can help secure your home.

ZigBee Smart Hub

$9.99

50% OFF

This all begs the question, should I have a smart home – you certainly can! Prices have come down, so much so that for under $100 you can get a pretty nice set of basic smart home items. While they can make life easier, one can easily go overboard buying more and more of these nifty technologies. As addictive as they can be, we recommend starting small with what’s manageable.

ZigBee Smart Scene Controller with 7 Programmable Switches

$14.49

With a mix of smart sockets, smart outlets, smart night vision 720p cameras, motion sensors, and window and door sensors, you can integrate your favourite options into an easy to use format. Look around. Think of how you could use these technologies in your bed or in with your entertainment/TV center. There’s opportunities in the kitchen, the washroom, backyard, front door, and plenty of other places throughout the home where smart tech can make a difference.

If you are setting yourself up with your first smart home, visit PrimeCables to pick up the best accessories at the most affordable price. Have you always wanted to live in a smart home – a new reality awaits.

Did You Know Your Desk Could Be Causing Back Pain – An Electric Sit-Stand Desk is a Cure

February 12, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

You wouldn’t think sitting down’s going to hurt your back. As it turns out, it very much can. A number of us work standard 40-hour work weeks in an office. We sit on buses, trains, and cars in commute before ultimately arriving at a desk where we sit for the day in front of a computer screen. This sort of lifestyle is not what our bodies were meant for, resulting in a condition the American Medical Association has called ‘sitting disease’.

What is sitting disease?

Sitting disease refers to the effects of prolonged sitting. Characteristics include an increased risk of heart disease, premature ageing of the heart, and increased cardiovascular aging. Some healthcare experts have been called it a ‘silent killer’ because you’d never know or feel the effects building inside the body.

Why is my desk causing me back pain?

Whether you have back pain or you don’t, what’s true of most jobs that involve working at an office desk is that you’re putting strain on your body. A lot of us crunch over to type and work, resulting in all of our top half weight being supported at an angle by our lower backs. Unfortunately, our backs aren’t designed to handle this weight. It’s like lifting a 15-pound weight in front of you indefinitely. Eventually, your body’s going to give out – hence back pain.

What can I do to solve lower back pain at work?

If your back got hurt from activity, a physician would advise you to rest and let it heal. Your job isn’t something you can walk away from. If your back is hurting from office work, most people simply continue working. The problem continues. For some, it exacerbates into an injury or permanent ache. This isn’t what we want to see. With a sit-stand desk, you can eliminate back pain altogether.

How does a sit-stand desk work to help back pain?

A sit-stand desk is height adjustable. You can work while sitting or standing, which adjusts the body’s positioning. This relieves the stresses of prolonged sitting, helping slowly eliminate lower back pain while also getting your body out from sitting disease. According to a 2018 study, a height-adjustable sit-stand desk helped office workers improve sedentary behaviour and decreased back pain by an average of 50 percent. If you aren’t moving around much in your work day, this is a way to invest in your long-term health.

PrimeCables® Electric Height Adjustable Sit-Stand Desk

$199.99

For office workers, Canadians with home offices, YouTubers, creative types, and anyone consistently working at a desk, an electric sit-stand desk puts an end to back pain. It’s an intervention in the stresses that are causing you to come home with pain. Choose your favourite sit-stand desk model today from PrimeCables.

Lose Weight, Burn Calories, and Track Your Health with a Smart Wristband

February 6, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

Smart wristbands are a fitness accessory every person looking to lose weight and control their health should have. Why we say this is because they provide a monitoring system that gives insights, activity times, and calorie counting. It’s like having your own personal trainer and dietician, with a wealth of other information to help a user stay on track.

A smart wristband isn’t your average wearable

When we think wearables, most of us think smartwatches. A smart wristband isn’t a smartwatch. Your wristband connects to an app on your phone. As long as you’re wearing it, it can track physical activity, non-physical activity time, sleep, and diet information. It also blends in information like healthy food scores, water logging, local restaurant menus, and enhanced tracking of one’s calories. This wristband takes the concept of a smartwatch to the next level, simplifying the design so that you can forget you’re even wearing it.

Jawbone® UP24® Wristband, Coral Pink

$108.6

CLEARANCE

What are the advantages of wearing a smart wristband?

There are many advantages of the Jawbone smart wristband, none the more important than maintaining a holistic approach to health. You can choose to add information such as meals, mood information, and other data – but you don’t have to. As long as you’re wearing it, the wristband is always giving feedback in real-time. Any time tap into your app and see your progress. Though there are other brands of wristbands, the Jawbone exceeds in functionality allowing you to connect to multiple apps. Everything is integrated into a single place, making it easier than ever for you to keep up your health.

Jawbone® UP24® Wristband, Onyx

$99.99

What information does a smart wristband give?

A smart wristband monitors a ton of health information. As long as it’s being worn, it will be counting and recording data 24/7. Just a few of the things you can monitor include active time in a day, idle time, active time calorie burn rate, resting burn rate, total calorie burn daily, steps taken, sleep time, and more. Your smart wristband can give you as much information or as little as you wish, depending on what you feel comfortable recording. It’s Bluetooth-enabled, compatible with iPhones and select Android devices, has a 7-day battery life, and is hypoallergenic.

Are you looking for a fitness bracelet or smart wristband in Canada – we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to monitor their health. Meet the next generation of smart wearables, fun and informative. Take control of your health and kickstart your fitness. Get yours from PrimeCables.

How Do I Set Up an Ergonomic Home Office?

January 31, 2020December 28, 2021 ThereseLeave a comment

Like many home offices who have made the switch to ergonomic office furniture have already done, you too can avoid neck, shoulder, and back issues simply by re-designing a select few aspects of your space.

Do you have pain or are at an increased cardiovascular risk – sitting in an office unfortunately won’t do you any favours. Though a lot of us work in front of computers, doing this day after day eventually leads to pain and discomfort. There’s no avoiding it.

Why this happens is because our bodies aren’t built to be sitting for 8 hours a day or more. Regarding the neck, shoulder, and back issues, as well as the weight issues that can accompany office work, they should be taken seriously. One simple solution is creating an ergonomic home office space for you.

PrimeCables® Ergo Riser ADR Sit-Stand Desk

$149.99

What is ergonomics?

Ergonomics, in office furniture, is to design a space that suits the dynamic of the body. Switching elements like desks and chairs can significantly change the experience of working in a home office. Even by simply purchasing a sit-standing desk or ergonomic riser, this has an effect on comfort levels during and after a day’s work.

What is an ergonomic desk riser?

An ergonomic desk riser is a more affordable version of a sit-stand desk. It’s more or less a desk topping a desk. So you’d take your riser and put it on your desk. Then you can lift it, height adjustable-style. It turns a regular desk into an ergonomic setup that can stand with you and sit with you. This is why these are called ergonomic sit-standing desks. This gives you the chance to move with ease up and down, taking stress off your body as you adjust position throughout the day.

PrimeCables® Ultra Slim Sit-Stand Desk

$119.99

Do I need ergonomic accessories?

Getting your desk right should be the primary focus when it comes to setting up an ergonomic office. After you have your desk just right, accessories can help improve your home office experience. Things like an ergonomic chair, keyboard and mice, or foot stand all helps in complementing a more natural posture.

PrimeCables® Anti-fatigue Standing Mat

$39.49

What is an ergonomic posture?

After you’re settled in with everything you need, the last step towards achieving your ergonomic setup is being conscious of your posture. Feet should be flat on the floor, eyes at screen level, thighs parallel or pointing slightly downwards towards the floor, and keep arms at right angles. Ergonomic desks and accessories do a lot but it still takes a commitment to remain in a conveniently comfortable posture. Eventually, this becomes second nature.

Setting up an ergonomic office doesn’t have to be hard or expensive! Save 10% and an EXTRA 10% on ergonomic risers from PrimeCables this week Canada-only. Dump your old equipment and furniture for new, and reduce any of the pain and discomfort that usually comes with office work. Set up the home office of your dreams!