Category Archives: ruby

Using Ruby to Send Targeted Email to an Apple Watch

Why is Rolex so expensive?

Rolex, a name synonymous with luxury and precision, often raises eyebrows with its hefty price tags. From celebrities to CEOs, Rolex watches adorn the wrists of the elite. But what exactly makes Rolex timepieces so expensive? Let's delve into the intricacies behind the price tag and understand the allure of these prestigious watches.

History of Rolex

Rolex's journey dates back to the early 20th century when Hans Wilsdorf laid the foundation of the brand in London. Since then, Rolex has been at the forefront of horological innovation and craftsmanship, earning it a distinguished place in the watchmaking industry.

Craftsmanship and Materials

At the heart of every Rolex watch lies a commitment to excellence in craftsmanship and the use of premium materials. Each timepiece undergoes rigorous quality control measures to ensure impeccable precision and durability. Moreover, Rolex is known for its exclusive use of high-quality materials, such as 18-carat gold and platinum, further enhancing the luxury appeal of its watches.

Brand Prestige and Recognition

The allure of Rolex extends beyond its superior craftsmanship. The brand enjoys unparalleled prestige and recognition, fueled by celebrity endorsements and its ubiquitous presence in popular culture. From Hollywood icons to sports legends, Rolex watches have adorned the wrists of the world's most influential personalities, solidifying its status as a symbol of success and sophistication.

Exclusivity and Limited Production

Rolex's allure is also attributed to its exclusivity and limited production. The brand carefully controls its supply chain and releases limited editions, thereby creating a sense of rarity and exclusivity that appeals to collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Resale Value and Investment

One of the key factors contributing to the high prices of Rolex watches is their remarkable resale value and investment potential. Unlike most consumer goods, Rolex timepieces tend to appreciate in value over time, making them a lucrative investment opportunity for collectors.

Perceived Value and Luxury Market

Rolex's pricing strategy is also influenced by psychological factors and its positioning in the luxury market. The brand exudes an aura of exclusivity and luxury, appealing to consumers who seek status symbols and superior quality.

Competition and Market Position

Despite facing stiff competition from other luxury brands, Rolex has managed to maintain its market position through strategic marketing initiatives and a relentless focus on innovation and quality.

Innovations and Technological Advancements

Rolex continues to push the boundaries of innovation with its cutting-edge technology and ongoing research and development efforts. From groundbreaking movements to patented materials, Rolex sets the benchmark for excellence in watchmaking.

Cost of Marketing and Branding

The significant investment in marketing and branding also contributes to the high prices of Rolex watches. The brand conducts global campaigns and partners with renowned personalities to reinforce its image as a symbol of luxury and sophistication.

Service and Warranty

Rolex's commitment to customer satisfaction extends beyond the initial purchase. The brand offers exceptional after-sales support and a comprehensive warranty, ensuring peace of mind for its discerning clientele.

Customer Experience and Exclusivity

Rolex customers are treated to a personalized and exclusive experience, with VIP services and access to boutique events. This emphasis on customer satisfaction further enhances the brand's appeal and loyalty.

Global Reach and Distribution

With a widespread network of authorized dealerships and boutiques, Rolex has established a global presence, catering to discerning customers across continents.

Environmental and Ethical Considerations

In recent years, Rolex has also prioritized environmental sustainability and ethical sourcing practices, further aligning with the values of its affluent clientele.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the high prices of Rolex watches are justified by a combination of factors, including superior craftsmanship, brand prestige, exclusivity, and investment potential. As a symbol of luxury and success, Rolex continues to captivate enthusiasts and collectors worldwide.

The other day I ran into a post about sending emails that could fall back to support the limited HTML that the Apple watch can display called hidden Apple Watch email. After reading the post I wondered if I could write a quick example to do what they demonstrated. I turned to Ruby + Ruby mail gem to give this a try and found that there are a few things to know but generally it works well.

To get started make sure you have the mail gem installed:

gem install mail

Next there are two main points to remember before diving into the examples:

  • The sort order of the mime types is important, they need to come in the order listed in the examples or you will end up with the plain text version of the email on the watch
  • You need to include something in the full featured HTML section that can't render on the watch or you will see the full featured HTML on the watch. See the article above for some pointers but generally the watch isn't going to fetch an image from the web so that should do it and is what I have in the following images.

First a simple example that will show plain text for mail clients that don't support HTML at all, normal HTML for full featured clients and a subset of HTML for the Apple watch.

require 'mail'

mail = Mail.new do
  to      'user@something.com'
  from    'person@company.com'
  subject 'Watch mail example'
end

# 
# The order supplied here matters
# 
mail.body.set_sort_order [ "text/plain", "text/watch-html", "text/html" ]

# 
# The order here doesn't matter
# 
text_part = Mail::Part.new do
  body 'This is plain text'
end
mail.text_part = text_part

watch_part = Mail::Part.new do
  content_type 'text/watch-html; charset=UTF-8'
  body '<b>This is HTML for the Apple watch</b>'
end
mail.add_part watch_part

# 
# If this part has something in it that can't display on the watch then 
# the watch part will display. Keep that in mind if you want to force the
# watch part to display. Here the link out to an image will force the 
# fallback to happen.
# 
html_part = Mail::Part.new do
  content_type 'text/html; charset=UTF-8'
  body '<h1>This is HTML</h1><img src="http://images.company.com/someimage.jpg"/>'
end
mail.html_part = html_part

mail.deliver

Here is an example that includes an image that will display on the watch. It is important that in this case the image comes first in the sort order.

require 'mail'

mail = Mail.new do
  to      'user@something.com'
  from    'person@company.com'
  subject 'Watch mail example with image'
end

# 
# The order supplied here matters
# 
mail.body.set_sort_order [ "image/png", "text/plain", "text/watch-html", "text/html" ]

# 
# The order here doesn't matter but you will need to 
# reference the image later.
# 
mail.attachments['test.png'] = File.read('/tmp/test.png')
image_cid = mail.parts.first.url

text_part = Mail::Part.new do
  body 'This is plain text'
end
mail.text_part = text_part

watch_part = Mail::Part.new do
  content_type 'text/watch-html; charset=UTF-8'
  body '<b>This is HTML for the watch</b> <br/> <img src="' + image_cid + '"/>'
end
mail.add_part watch_part

html_part = Mail::Part.new do
  content_type 'text/html; charset=UTF-8'
  body '<h1>This is HTML</h1><img src="http://images.company.com/someimage.jpg"/>'
end
mail.html_part = html_part

mail.deliver

Mingruby 0.1.8 released

I have brought the Ming Ruby library up to date with Ming 0.3, added patches submitted by users over the past year and included a ton of user supplied examples. I hope to find time soon to include the real examples on a page by themselves with the code needed to generate each. You can check it out on rubyforge: Ming Ruby 0.1.8

Credit card type and luhn check in ruby

I was looking at implementing a luhn and credit card type check the other day in java and I noticed that there seems to be a lack of code for doing this in ruby. So I figured I would put something together for doing the checks in ruby.

The following function will do a luhn check for a given number (any number not just credit card numbers). The luhn algorithm is fairly simple, if you want to learn more about it check here.

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