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Using Google Analytics For GIF And Email Tracking

By Zeus Perez ::) | Jan 04, 2012

I’ve been using Google Analytics for a while but wanted to use a way to track email open or deliver rates. Enter this page regarding email tracking:
http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/tracking/gaTrackingTroubleshooting.html#GIFVars Tracking

Then of course I find
http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/mobile/mobileWebsites.html Analytics for Mobile
Where Turadg says on Stack Overflow:
“As others have pointed out, you can’t use Javascript in email. The actual tracking is done by a request for __utm.gif though and the Javascript just constructs the GET parameters.

Google supports non-Javascript uses of Google Analytics per their Mobile web docs: http://code.google.com/mobile/analytics/docs/web/

They document the full list of parameters, but the only necessary parameters are:

Parameter Description
utmac Google Analytics account ID
utmn Random ID to prevent the browser from caching the returned image
utmp Relative path of the page to be tracked
utmr Complete referral URL

So let’s create an example email, send it via MailChimp or WordPress or other item, or hell, all mail servers I can find to make sure I get some analytics back!

MacBook Air Now With Invisibility

articles | hardware |

By Zeus Perez ::) | Dec 23, 2010

The latest MacBook Air release in Ugwanitan under very hush-hush guidelines has been leaked. To my disbelief I held it in my hands and could see right through it! Everything else is the same as every other laptop in the world, you know, USB -whatever, pictures -whatever, it uses electricity -whatever, it has a keyboard -whatever, but this one is INVISIBLE! Freaking a, for a whole day I couldn’t find it! Then lo and behold I sat on it for just a second and I giggled with happiness.

The new MacBook Air with Invisibility! It’s fucking awesome!

Boxee in action

articles | hardware |

By Zeus Perez ::) | Dec 08, 2010

UI Trip 1

I was told about this service from a site called igrad.com that allows you to watch videos online. So I did a quick download and tried it out. It’s not fun, it’s an interesting and fluid UI possibly built on Atmosphere, AIR or FLEX but when Boxee attempted to use some services like HULU it failed and in many respects the whole getting out of a screen failed and took me some work to close windows or get back to where I was within Boxee. I say wait until they figure out the kinks with other services and continue using iTunes or my favorite Netflix and YouTube.

I was impressed by Boxee on launch since when the application opened up after logging on there were a ton of pretty new movies so I felt it was a solid good find. I’ll give it another whirl later to see if I feel differently about it. Good question to figure out now is where does boxee get it’s movies? I thought Scott Pilgrim wasn’t out yet…it was. It’s on iTunes to stream, Netflix doesn’t have it out yet to stream but I can get the video and Blockbuster as it on DVD. iTunes really does have streaming locked in pretty well.

But as far as interface goes, it’s quick, smooth and easy to use, unless you get locked into a site that is. Check it out. It’s free to download and it may actually give Netflix a run.

Internet and a computer is required.

Apple Warranty, Geniuses and Where Are The Wizards?

articles | hardware | stories

By Zeus Perez ::) | Dec 06, 2010

Simple scenario, 2.5 years ago we bought matching iPhone 3G. We hadn’t bought Apple’s Protection plan, but nonetheless we’ve been rather careful with our phones. Now we know many vulnerabilities exist with smart phones and a billion disasters can happen with iPhones or any phones and God knows that I’ve seen my phone drop to the ground over a dozen times, I’ve taken showers with my phone, hell, I’ve thrown my phone across a room by mistake when it was in a jacket and it slipped out but it still worked! So I’ve got fabulous things to say about iPhones. So when my wife says, “It won’t start.” I find it hard to believe but we all know it could happen one day that your mysterious electric, communication device could just stop working.

So here’s my issue. My wife, with her degree in MIS and Marketing starts researching how to fix the phone. We are well aware that the phone is out of warranty, and that data loss is possible, but she starts putting her mind to fix it and I tell her, “Wait. Maybe the Geniuses at the Apple Store can fix it. I rather not completely void the warranty right away.” She agrees. I take the phone to the store and within 5 minutes of visiting the Apple Store I’m in talking to someone who points out there could be water damage, I’m out of warranty and that he “attempted to open but was afraid of breaking it.” He then handed me back my phone to which I showed him my working iPhone which I’ve left in the bathroom numerous times and said to him, “Check this one for water damage too please.” Of course this one “may” have damage to it as well. So the mystery remains how the other phone won’t start. No one can tell me and the ONLY solution is to buy a new phone.

In 1983 that wouldn’t have been the solution. Back then we would open ANY piece of equipment and fix it. So I took my phone back to my wife and said, “Have at it, the ‘Geniuses’ at Apple didn’t know what to do.” At which point my wife put on her wizard hat and starts dismantling the iPhone faster than you can say, “To the Batmobile!”

Before you know it she’s taking out every single screw, and yells out in her happy harmony, “Some water just leaked out!” She says, “This guy online says to let it dry out or to put it on a windowsill or into a bag with rice to help remove the humidity and dry it out.” I’m in awe at this point.

Four hours later she’s putting the phone back together again. Later today we find out if it works.

The point is, Apple, why do you have Geniuses that don’t really do anything or even try to help but instead regurgitate information we already know? What I expected was what my wife had to do on her own, but you never offered to do any of this -but you call youself “Genius”…

That must make my wife a “Wizard” right since she was able to actually attempt to fix her own phone. I feel it was Apple’s right to do this part, especially after such a long relationship I’ve had with them but the truth is they don’t care about anything else -but selling, upgrading and avoiding any drama.

But thank you anyways Apple, because thanks to you, my wife has proved she’s better than you because she at least tried rather than having a mediocre attempt.

HP Tablet PC and Wacom Drivers

articles | hardware |

By Zeus Perez ::) | May 26, 2010

I’ve been stumped because I wanted to draw in Photoshop using an older HP 2730p EliteBook Tablet PC but the tablet failed to have pressure sensitivity.

Then I remembered and found an old pen of mine I had from Wacom.
Then I downloaded and installed the Wacom Tablet PC driver.
http://www.wacom.com/tabletpc/driver.cfm

That link doesn’t work so use this one instead

Or just download the file

If you are having issues using Photoshop you can buy a pen like this one:

for $30 Bucks!! and fix your problem!
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=wacom+pen&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=2496545693287241436&ei=JS79S9OqLsSqlAf-xbGbCQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=image&resnum=7&ved=0CFAQ8gIwBg##