Quick zip for tidying up

Just think of all the cables your digital life requires that are tangled behind your couch, hanging from your TV, lurking next to your computer, and stuffed into your backpack 00ynqlv. You can’t avoid them — but you can tame them.

How can you maintain a distraction-free workspace if the wires that power and connect you are on the loose? Here’s a simple tool that will help you tidy up for the new year.

Of course you know all about the amazing hook-and-loop zipperless zipper. Velcro has been admired by everyone from Buzz Aldren to David Letterman for its strong, reusable fastening. But the particular design of this strap neatly solves an additional challenge: how to not lose it.

Wrap the fat end of the strap around your cable and feed the tapered tail through the slot. Now your velcro stays attached even when not used for wrapping — and won’t get lost.

Clutch your cables together with one hand and, with the other, wrap the velcro tightly around the bundle, cinching nice and snug.

You can use just one to wrap a power cord to toss in your bag, or, for a long stretch of cables, use one every nine inches to keep the cables baled.

When you need to add an additional cable, of course, Velcro can unwrap and then tie everything back up hundreds of times before its grip diminishes.

Introducing M Network, a new division of Macktez

Sometimes just one loop of Velcro won’t do, and you need your cables professionally managed. That’s why we’ve spun off a new division of Macktez called M Network.

M Network specialists can help design and plan your new office build-out or tidy-up the mess under your desks. We can run one new cable or one hundred, install server room racks, security cameras, wireless access points, and phone systems. We can professionally diagnose, repair, and maintain existing networks or start from scratch in a new space.

You may know we are picky about organized project plans, detailed checklists, well-labeled equipment, and coordinated communication. We’ve worked with many cabling vendors over the years, and we saw an opportunity to integrate these sprawling jobs within our own team of consultants.

Now we can apply the Macktez approach to infrastructure and network projects. You get the same careful planning and the same daily reports you’ve come to expect, so you know exactly where your project stands. We’ll label all jacks and panels, so your network won’t be a mystery. And we’ll test every connection and provide you with documentation of the final results.

We’re excited to add M Network to the services we provide. Visit mnet.work for more information, to schedule a site visit, or to get a free estimate.

Congratulations to Nelly Bonilla, our 2016 Summer Stipend Recipient

Nelly created the Great Divide, shown as part of Amnesty International’s Art for Amnesty showcase in Miami this past summer.

Her project was designed as a statement on the treatment of refugees — a 15-foot structure constructed from torn law books and broken glass to create a vortex only some people are allowed to enter, while others are left on the outside looking in. A gatekeeper decides who is permitted to experience the journey of the winding space. If you are not chosen, you can only watch, and wonder. Read more about her work at macktez.com/stipend.

– The Team at Macktez