Things to know about power connectors and their brands

Power connectors are a crucial linkage between a power source and any particular device. Without it, the device cannot function. When it comes to consumer electronics, like desktop computers, such devices need to plug into a wall socket to be able to function. But when it comes to non-consumer equipment, power connectors are slightly different. Let’s read on to know more about them and the best connector brands in the market.

Definition of power connectors

A device that permits an electrical current to pass through itself to supply power to an electronic device is known as a power connector. These connectors can be used for a variety of purposes and it must match the need and electronic device’s geometry to be properly functional. They may work on either direct current or alternating current. While the former work on electronic devices, battery packs, and automotive accessories, the latter allow devices to be connected to the main power source in a building.

Types of power connectors

Other than those based on current types, the other types of power connectors available in the market depend on the duration of the connection (be it permanent or temporary), on removal or assembly method, on the location of conductive interfaces (also known as female or male), and the like. A few connectors also come with special features like vibration, water resistance, shock resistance, physical damage resistance, and more. Some can only withstand a low amount of disconnections and connections before they may fail.

Power connector pinout

The correct pinout is crucial for a power connector to perform optimally. This can make or break a product. Different manufacturers use varied methods to make wire connections. Some of them include soldering, wire wrapping, and others. Choosing the right pinout is essential to avoiding any accidental disconnections of the powered device.

Components of connectors

A few components of connectors include blades, jacks, pins, sockets, and plugs. While some of these are referred to as male connectors, others are known as female ones. To help you avoid a faulty connection, some models do come with a mechanical adaptation that lets it connect to the pinout’s appropriate orientation, angle, and match.

Top connector brands

There are several best connector brands in the market today. With the advancement of electronic technology, companies both at home and abroad have ventured into this ever-growing digital space to offer customers various models for varying needs. Some of them include:

  • J.S.T
  • JAE
  • Aptiv
  • Yazaki

3 top connector brands you should shop from

In the electronics and industrial manufacturing sector, a connector refers to a device that helps join electrical terminations or points to create a full circuit of electricity. It is essentially a coupling device that allows you to create contact between electronic components, printed circuit boards, cables, wires, and other parts. Here, we will introduce you to three best connector brands that you can turn to for your home or business needs.

  • TE Connectivity
    In the global power connector market, TE Connectivity (TE) often ranks high on the supplier’s list. It is a world-renowned manufacturer, seller, and distributor of power connectors of various types and designs, creating good-quality, high-performing pieces that last a very long time. On their website, they offer more than 238,000 types of connectors, 493 connector categories, and 7,705 attributes for TE connectors. You can find audio and video connectors, connector backshells and adapters, fiber optic connectors, lighting connectors, D-shaped connectors, automotive connectors, PCB connectors, rectangular connectors, terminal blocks and strips, RF coax connectors, junction modules and accessories, pluggable IO connectors and cases, and much more. Trusted by millions of users, TE connectivity offers reliability and good product quality.
  • Molex
    This is another company that has consistently been making it to the top spots of global power connector supplier lists. Molex is a brand that aims to connect the world with technology and improve people’s lives in the near future. This home-grown company is a pioneer in 5G technology and connected technologies related to home, health, and mobility. It has a presence in almost 40+ countries with more than 100,000 products in its portfolio. The connector types that it offers includes wire-to-board connectors, wire-to-wire connectors, power connectors, micro connector products, IO connectors, backplane connectors, FPC/FFC connectors, magnetic and modular jacks and plugs, solderless terminals, terminal blocks and barrier strips, and RF connectors.
  • Amphenol
    This visionary company is one of the largest manufacturers of interconnect products. It designs, creates, and sells electronic, electrical, fiber optic, flat-ribbon, and coaxial cable systems. Its connectors can be used in cellular industries, data communications, aerospace, transport, automotive, rail, military, and many more avenues. The brand offers designs that are space-saving, ergonomic, high-speed, low current, light-weight, durable, premium-quality, thin, compact, water-proof, or heavy-duty. Its A Series and 97 series offer some of the most astounding connector models in the market. One of the best connector brands to choose from, Amphenol’s products are unparalleled.

Top 3 signboards for businesses

Starting a business is not easy. It requires immense motivation, focus, hard work, and the desire to learn more. Further, it takes time before you can finally see the results of your efforts. When you decide to start a business, you need to consider every tiny aspect of it. From the location to the name and type of business, every factor is pivotal and cannot be ignored.

A business’s policy signboards are one such prerequisite. Here are three types of signboards that you can consider for your business:

Wall signboard

It is one of the many policy signboards that you can consider investing in for your business. You can place these signs either outside or inside your office. A lot of creativity goes into the preparation of these signboards. They come in several shapes and sizes. These can also be illuminated from behind and within. The good thing about wall signboards is that they can be tailored and personalized to any level. Hence, depending on the kind of message you wish to communicate, you can choose how exactly you want the sign to be. So, whether you want to advertise a new chain of products or services and promote your brand, or put up a tagline for your business, you can achieve it all with this wall sign. 

LED signboard

In LED policy signboards, LED lights are used for communicating the message. These are eye-catching policy signboards and an excellent pick for nighttime communication. These boards help display high-resolution pictures and text to produce a visually striking outcome. If you wish to put up a signboard that can attract eyeballs, then you can consider this type.

Sidewalk signboard
Also known as A-frame signs, sidewalk signboards work particularly well for small businesses. Advertisements are inserted directly into the frame for the passers-by to see. These are portable, practical, and affordable signs compared to other types of signboards. 

These also come with changeable designs, which make them quite prevalent. They offer business owners an opportunity to change what is displayed on the board every once in a while. Whether you are adding a new deal or lowering prices on certain products, sidewalk signs can help you communicate your message to the public effectively.

Top 5 tattoo and piercing studios

Tattoos have become quite popular in recent times, with people from all walks of life wanting to get inked. A tattoo design can be anything that you like or something that inspires you. Some people consider getting a personal tribute, a funky graphic, or a traditional tattoo. We have put together a list of some of the best tattoo and piercing parlors in the country. Read on:

Kings Avenue Tattoo, New York
Established by Mike Rubendall in Long Island, this tattoo parlor features some of the most sought-after tattoo artists in the industry. Today, apart from Long Island, Kings Avenue Tattoo has its presence in New York City as well. The NYC outlet started operations in 2011. Rubendall’s objective behind opening Kings Avenue Tattoo was to develop one of the most influential tattoo studios across the globe. With the vision to advance the art of tattoo-making, Kings Avenue Tattoo is committed to creating customized tattoos while delivering an unparalleled customer experience. The tattoo studio’s wide network of artists include Jasmine Wright, Rose Hardy, and Matt Adamson, among many others.

Urban Art Tattoo, Arizona
Located in Mesa, Arizona, Urban Art Tattoo provides a variety of design options, ranging from new school graffiti to traditional and bold artworks. This friendly tattoo studio has experienced artists who create one-of-a-kind designs that will match your requirements.

Ultra Violence, Alaska
Touted as one of the best tattoo studios in the region, Ultra Violence is located in Anchorage, Alaska. From detailed dots and monochromatic tattoos to dainty, colorful ones, they specialize in a variety of designs. Along with multiple tattoo styles, they also offer a range of piercings.

Black & Blue Tattoo, California
Situated in the lively city of San Francisco, this gender-inclusive, woman-owned tattoo studio has been in operation since 1995. A plus point of getting inked at this parlor is that you need not book a prior appointment, it accepts walk-ins. So you can drop by to check out its portfolio and get a tattoo or piercing of your preference.

Till The End Tattoo, Florida
Based in the picturesque Miami, this studio is co-owned by Katherine Flores from Ink Master fame. As she is the start artist here, you may find it difficult to get an appointment with her. However, do not worry, as the other artists working there are equally amazing.

Lesser-known affordable connector manufacturers

Connectors are accessories that offer a detachable electro-mechanical bridge between two different systems, usually two wire harnesses or a device. Today, several top competing brands offer expensive connector models. However, you do not always need a big budget for them, and this article discusses some lesser-known but economical options.

  • Yazaki
    What is great about this cost-effective best connector brand is that it offers a wide selection of custom-designed and off-the-shelf connectors that suit a variety of purposes and applications, not to mention environmental conditions. Yazaki engineers use leading design and manufacturing techniques to create connection systems that offer optimized performances, at the best cost, size, and weight. They even ensure reduced development cycles, simplified assembly, built-in scalability, and enhanced reliability. The manufacturer understands the evolving market needs and uses engineering and consulting services for data distribution and electrical power. The types of connectors that it offers include device-inline connectors, header connectors, safety connectors, high-speed connectors, and high-voltage connectors.
  • Foxconn
    A Taiwanese company established in 1974, it is also known as Hon Hai Technology Group. This is the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer and the premier technological solutions provider that integrates hardware and software in unique manufacturing systems. The company has dipped its toes into every conceivable sphere, such as automation, robotics, smart networks, big data, artificial intelligence, IoT, mobile devices, cloud computing, and more. In 2019, it registered a revenue of NT $5.34 trillion, and ranks #26 on the Fortune Global 500 list. However, what it has mastered is its lineup of efficient and high-quality connectors. One of its most iconic models is the USB type C female connector with gold plating, and another is the board-to-board 0.5mm connector.
  • Rosenberger
    One of the best connector brands, this developer and manufacturer understands special measuring and testing applications superbly. It is dedicated to making a variety of cable assemblies and connectors that can adapt to high requirements. It makes solderless PCB and solderable connectors, modular connector systems for frequencies from DC to 50 GHz, spring contact coaxial systems, and much more. Rest assured, the high-frequency performance and quality of the surface mount connectors from Rosenberger are unparalleled. You can find right-angle jack connectors, straight jack, panel jacks, bulkhead jack, and various other connector models with this brand.

Choose from this list of pocket-friendly yet reliable connector manufacturers for your home or business needs. You cannot go wrong with any of them!

6 tips to get better at ballroom dancing

Do you love ballroom dancing? If yes, you know the kind of dedication and hard work this dance form requires. It’s elegant, beautiful, and fun. Now, if we list ballroom dances, we’ll run out of time. There are so many of them: Waltz, Jive, Cha-Cha, Foxtrot, and many many more! But regardless of the dance form you pick, you should be able to ace it. So, here are some tips that can help you improve your ballroom dancing game.

Perfect the closed dance hold
If you’ve seen the closed dance hold, you might know that the woman is slightly tilted towards the man’s right in this position. More so, in this move, the couple’s feet are a bit offset so that one partner’s right foot can step between the other’s feet. This posture is vital because you may step on your partner’s toes if you do it wrong.

Practice makes perfect
We’ll not list ballroom dances here, but pick any, and you’ll know that two things are common with all forms. One, they require timed movements, and two, there’s a particular posture that you’ve to follow. To get hold of these two prerequisites, you need to practice a lot. Besides, practice will help you understand your body’s movement and make it easy for you to sync it with your partner.

Take ballroom dance lessons consistently
Be it private, group, or online sessions, you need to continue sharpening your dance knowledge. Getting certain things wrong time after time can be frustrating. But continue to learn. Plus, only a professional can teach you the proper technique. So don’t miss your lessons.

Maintain the posture
For a man to check his posture, he needs to stand with his back against a wall and then take this straight alignment onto the dance floor. If you’ve ever been to a ballroom dance class, you’ll know that teachers usually talk about the front line, top line, and Medline. When your posture is correct, your dance will look regal and majestic on the dance floor.

Wear comfortable shoes
If your heels feel pressured or your toes are pinched, you won’t dance well. Thus, when you go dancing, pick out the shoes that you’re most comfortable in. Only after you dance in a couple of pairs will you see the difference and find the best footwear for you.

Go out dancing regularly
For perfecting ballroom dancing, you need that real-world experience. So, go out to ballroom dance parties, a nightclub, or any studio for social dancing. Also, when you look at other dancers better than you, you improve.

3 ballroom dance mistakes that most beginners make

When you start ballroom dancing for the first time, you’re bound to make mistakes. This is why we need a lot of practice. But trust us when we say this, ballroom dancing benefits are totally worth the hard work. Even the most award-winning, impressive, and accomplished dancers made (and still make) mistakes. But what are the most common ballroom dance errors? Here, we list some of them.

Looking at your feet while dancing
When you start ballroom dancing, you’re uncertain and underconfident of your moves. So, you tend to avoid eye contact and look more at your feet. It’s also because you have a fear of stepping onto your partner’s toes. In all honesty, this can be a difficult habit to overcome. But there’s no way out. If you keep looking down at your feet, it will directly hamper your posture, bend your shoulders forward, and weaken your frame.

The objective of social dancing is to utilize your whole body to communicate with your partner. You have to feel your partner’s movements; if you can feel it, you won’t have to look down to know where you should place your feet. To practice looking up, you can fixate a focal point at your eye length anytime you start dancing, say a window, a clock, or even your partner’s smile. This will make your dancing smoother and improve your posture.

Taking wide steps
As a beginner, you may take wide steps at times. Sadly, the broad steps can put you off-balance and make it challenging to focus on the beat. And when you go off-beat, your partner finds it hard to keep up with you. This can lead to a whole lot of other errors as well. So try to take smaller steps until you gain more confidence.

Dancing in only one style
If we list ballroom dances one by one, we might run out of time. There are so many of them! Hence, most people focus on one dance form and get better at it. There’s no problem with it if you’re trying to get perfect for a specific event or aspire to learn only a single dance form. However, if you wish to be a well-rounded ballroom dancer, it’s always good to perfect multiple dance styles.

Learning numerous forms can get you out of your comfort zone and make you a more eased-out dancer. More so, when you know multiple dance forms, you can dance with more people socially because not everyone will know ballroom dancing, right?

Everything you need to know about keycaps

The plastic layer that covers a key on a keyboard is called a keycap. It is the cover that you touch when you type on a keyboard. It essentially identifies the symbol or letter input into the device or computer. In recent times keycaps have become much more than the regular plastic keys, keyboard enthusiasts are often fond of switching keycaps by using customized options. These different kinds of keycaps can come in different shapes, sizes, and every color or texture imaginable. Having a colored keycap or a keycap with a unique texture or form has become a trend.

What makes a keycap?

A keycap is generally made through the process of thermoplastic injection molding thermoplastic. This process involves melting plastic and putting it under pressure so that it forms a steel mold. There are different plastics that are used to make these colored keycaps.

ABS
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS is found in many applications and formulations. This is the form of plastic that is most commonly used to create keycaps as the material that it is made with is easily available and less expensive.

PBT
Short for polybutylene terephthalate, this type of plastic is another upcoming favorite material for making keycaps. It is extremely durable but comes with a higher manufacturing cost. PBT does not shine even after long usage. The plastic is hard and it gives the keycap a texture. Most of the keycaps that are found in the aftermarket are made using PBT plastic.

3-D printed keycaps 
With the help of 3-D printers, it has become relatively easy to customize keycap designs. You can choose the shape and color as per your requirement. All you need to have is easy access to a 3-D printer. You can create colored keycaps, or normal keycaps in unique shapes and textures.

Hand-molded keycaps
These keycaps are relatively unique, a tad bit expensive, and highly sought-after because of their unique form and design. The process of making these keycaps is tedious. Artisans make a clay mold in their preferred shape. This is then made into a silicone mold of the design. The last step is to cast it in resin to produce a keycap. This method is extremely time-consuming and fetches a lot of money from the artists who create these keycaps.

POM
This is the least common plastic that is used to make keycaps. These keycaps though durable, are slippery; hence are avoided by manufacturers.

Rubber keycaps
Rubber keycaps are the plastic keycaps coated in an additional rubber layer. The rubber coating allows for a better finger grip and can benefit gamers who are making the jump to PC gaming for the first time.

6 most popular ballroom dances

People all around the world love ballroom dancing because of its competitive and social nature. Anyone can enjoy these dances with their partner, irrespective of age. Here, we’ll list ballroom dances that are famous worldwide. You would have seen them in many films, television shows, dance competitions, and on renowned stages. Let’s get started!

Waltz
Waltz is one of the most thought-of dances anytime someone mentions ballroom dancing. It’s also one of the smoothest dance forms and is exquisite and graceful. Waltz involves 28 bars every minute, performed in 3/4 time. If you watch from a distance, you’ll feel that the dancers appear to glide around the floor effortlessly. Waltz is not just a romantic dance form but also a progressive dance type marked by flowing, long movement, rise and fall, and continuous turns.

Tango
This dance form originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has been around since the 19th Century. It involves sharp, cat-like moves. There are two types of Tango: Ballroom Tango and Argentine Tango. As our goal is to list ballroom dances in this article, we’ll focus on the former. Ballroom tango is sensual and romantic, and people love the fascination associated with it. The dance form involves 32 bars every minute, performed in 2/4 time. Tango has evolved over the years, and today, the style used in most competitions is not the same as the Argentinian Tango.

Rumba
Rumba is characterized by sophisticated yet straightforward movements. Nevertheless, it’s a romantic dance form. Rumba is famous because it totally revamped ballroom dancing with its complex and pacy moves.

Cha-Cha
Cha-Cha is a flirtatious dance form. It can be considered a slower version of Mamba, but with more hip movement. In this lively ballroom dance full of energy and passion, partners dance together to synchronize their every move and make it fall in perfect alignment. 

Foxtrot
This is another simple ballroom dance, which is a lot of fun. It was named after Harry Fox, the actor believed to have popularized the dance form in the early 1900s. Foxtrot is excellent for learning, especially for beginners. In this dance form, couples make smooth, long, and flowy movements across the floor to swing. 

Jive
Jive is a spicy swing dance set to big band music. In this form, the man leads, and women encourage more men to persuade them for a dance. These days, another dance form called Modern Jive has emerged, which is a more simplified version.

5 popular colored keycaps

Tired of looking at your traditional mechanical keycaps? The new well-designed colored keycaps can be the best option to replace them. However, you need to understand the size of the keycaps, their placement, and the specific layout, before purchasing a new set of keycaps. The plastic layer that covers a key on a keyboard is called a keycap. It essentially identifies the symbol or letter input into the device or computer. Here are some different types of colored keycaps that are available in the market at an affordable price.

Different types of colored keycaps

  • HK gaming dye-sublimation-colored keycaps
    This is a sculpted keycap profile in Cherry. This Cherry profile keycap set is one of the keycaps sets that you can find at a lower price. Other similar profile keycap sets can cost more than $100. The HK gaming keycaps have nice, basic, and bold colors that suit the cream-colored keycaps.                                                                 
  • New arrival XDA lotus keycaps
    These keycaps are a cool white and blue design with a red accent. The XDA profile is enjoyable and fun to type on. It takes a small periodic adjustment to get used to. The arrow keys contain a simple minimalistic design that brings and makes the entire set together and fun. The New arrival XDA-colored keycaps come in different sizes depending on the layout.
  • Kraken backlit keycaps
    Kraken backlit keycaps are a good way to take the mechanical setup a notch higher! You can get backlit colored keycap sets to match your set up, favorite colors,or favorite teams. Backlit keycap sets come with keys that fit a full-size keyboard. They fit in the standard mechanical keyboard layout, that uses Cherry, or cherry equivalent switches.                                                                                                              
  • YMDK double-shot rainbow keycaps
    These are another great option with amazing design. These keycaps feature a multitude of colors. This keycap set is OEM profile. The RGB lighting shines through due to its doubleshot design, and the PBT material that it is made of.                                                                                                                  
  • YMDK YMD96 keycaps -Gray & beige
    This design by YMDK is a set of keycaps priced at a lower range. It features an OEM profile that comes in a PBT keycap design. These keycaps are sleek and convenient, and have a good contrast, which makes reading easy. The keycaps are not too flashy and can be used in a professional set up. It is perfect for those who like to purchase a keycap that is subtle yet classy.