Saturday, 30 April 2011

PSD to WordPress Conversions

There is perhaps, not a single web designer, who has not worked on Photoshop. Working on Photoshop involves working on different layers in order to make images. For web Designers, software is one of the premium sources of their work. However, if you have some experience of building images on Photoshop, you must know that Photoshop images are saved in PSD format and that is where many web designers find little difficulty working on Photoshop. The PSD images generally come up too big to be uploaded on web. While uploading any image, if it takes too much time, it counts as a drawback in terms of the website as well as the user's time. For this reason, images of PSD format are considered incompatible with the web.

Does it mean Photoshop images have no future along with the web development? No. Web designers can exercise their creativity on Photoshop and then flaunt them on web in front of the whole world. How? They just need to convert the PSD images to other format. Most of the designers prefer PSD to WordPress conversions. Whenever, a designer converts the image to WordPress, he can upload it on the website easily and quickly.

Conversion from PSD to WordPress is not an easy task, if you don't have any hands in knowledge in this field. However, there are several offshore service providers, who can convert your PSD images to WordPress. If you are not a professional web designer, you can go for these service providers.

If you want to convert from PSD to WordPress all by yourself, here are some tips for you, which you have to keep in mind during the conversion.

Manual Coding:There are two types of coding: Manual and Software based. Software based coding is more mechanical. You find a code according to the context and you copy and paste it to your module. While in manual coding, you need to understand all the wants and needs of the software and then build it. In the latter, the coder can add and delete any module in accordance with the future need, which is essential for a quality software. This is quite unlike readymade coding, where you just need to perform a copy and paste job.

Semantic Coding:Semantic coding is very important in order to make your website user-friendly. You need to match the HTML tags with your content in it. For example, if the web designer codes the body, header, and footer in different formats, Semantic coding takes care to make parity among the distinct coding formats. This is important for easy data fetching from the user's end.

Browser-friendliness:You need to make the website all-browser friendly. If you don't check cross browser compatibility before launching your website, higher chances are there that you might lose many potential clients.

Finally, when the conversion from PSD to WordPress is finished, don't forget to check its W3C compliance to remove all errors from your website. For more information on PSD conversion, visit http://www.evontech.com/psd-to-html.html.

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Flash Android Development

Mobile gamers must be excited to know about the tie up between Flash and Android. Yes, you heard it right. Adobe Flash player can be experienced on your Android. Adobe has recently declared that they are launching Flash 10.1 for Android 2.0 and above. With this technology evolved, the world of internet gaming will experience a vast change. There are a number of gaming platforms on the Internet, which required Flash, such as some Facebook games. These games could not be played on Android enabled devices until now. However, with Flash development for Android, definitely a faster and better gaming experience for the Android users will be delivered. The framework of Flash for the Android devices is known as AIR.

There are two ways that an Android developer may use Flash on a device:

The Android developers can utilize the existing Flash content into the old App development of Android powered devices.The developers can imbibe the Adobe Flash content through Android.

Advantages of Flash Android Development:Even though, the development of Flash Android is still in its beta testing phase, the users of Android have already recognized some of its unique facilities that it seems to stay here and win. There are many advantages of the development, which is visible to the Android users as well as to the avid gamers. However, the main advantages, which need to be specially mentioned, are as follows:

Speed:With Flash, you can have a faster gaming experience. Any game, which is developed with Flash Technology, runs a significant time faster on the Android powered set, compared to 3G iPhone or an iPad.

Compatibility:One advantage of Flash development is its compatibility with almost all gaming platforms. There are many games, which were developed with Flash and which were created when Android had not even existed, however, today they run on Android platform as well.

Accessibility:There are thousands of games, which essentially require Flash tools to run. Since the Android powered mobile users have been deprived so far from the Flash gaming experience on their handsets, the Flash Android development has bought a relief for them. Now they will not miss any game, be it Facebook gaming application or any other platform.

Screen:A whole new mobile architecture is makings its way with Android and Flash. The newly arrived Android enabled mobile phones such as Nexus One has a wider screen of 800*480, compared to 480*320 of 3G iPhone. Therefore, the users can experience better and clearer view of the games on the handset, though Flash has to upgrade itself a bit more to support games with more pixels.

Flash and Android together is definitely a great news! However, there is a lot more to Android development with Flash. Have a look at http://www.evontech.com/android-development.html.

Sunday, 24 April 2011

Introduction to PHP Classes and Objects - Part 10

Classes and Objects:


The programming paradigm we have learned so far is called Procedural Paradigm. In Procedural programming paradigm, programmer writes a program as collections of independently behaving procedures and makes use of procedure call to access those procedures. As we already discussed in Part8, how procedural programming is a better choice than a simple unstructured programming. It has been a long time, programmers have started thinking about new paradigm called Object oriented paradigm (OOP) which provides a better way to develop big and complex system than procedural programming. We don't want to confuse readers by putting too complex terms and advantages of OOP at this stage, we will discuss when required.


In OOP, a class is a language construct that is used as a template or blue print to create instances of class called objects. This tutorial explains step by step to make the things clear.


Creating Class


Example#1


The example below creates a class called Person. It has two instance variables; name and address and few methods. The instance variables are not accessible outside the class when they are defined as private; we need methods to access them. But public variable can be accessed outside the class. All instance variables should be kept private and there should be some methods to access those variables. Here, we have SET and GET methods which are be public. All methods should be public; otherwise they cannot be accessed outside the class.


After the end of class, we have created a instance "p" of class "Person". "p" is called object of class "Person". Note that, "p" object binds instance variables and methods together, that property of OOP is known as encapsulation.


The output of the above code will be:
Gary Tom Unit 10 Nelson Bay, NSW 2030 Australia


Constructor and Destructor


When we create an object constructor method is called, hence it is useful to initialize the instance variables before they are ready to use. Similarly, destructor method is called when we destroy the objects.


Example#2


The code we have in this example produces the same output as in example#1, but has been implemented in a different way. Here we initialize the instance variables using constructors.


This code will also produces the same output as in example#1, that is:
Gary Tom Unit 10 Nelson Bay, NSW 2030 Australia


Inheritance


As the name suggests, inheritance is a principle by which child class can inherit the methods form its parent class and the methods performs their original functionality.


Example#3


In this example, we extend a class called Student from the class Person. The subclass Student inherits printMe methods and all instance variables from the parent class Person. The printMe method of Person class has been rewritten with the same name in Student class. If a method with same name exists in parent and child class, the child class object has two version of the same module. In this situation the child class method overrides the parent class method, it known as method overriding. When we call printMe method of Student object, it calls printMe of Student class not the printMe of Person class. Remember that all data members of Person class are available in Student class.


 

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Core Java Interview Questions

Java language was discovered by James Gosling of Sun Micro systems in 1991. Although C, C++ like programming languages were present in the market but due to fix platform constraint, web developers were unable to develop high end applications. Java has removed this constraint by being completely platform independent, secure, robust, dynamic, threaded & reusable programming language. So if you are also studying java language and are going to appear for the java technical interview then do read some of these Core java interview questions to crack the interview easily.

1. What do you mean by JVM (Java Virtual Machine)? Explain its importance.

Java virtual machine helps in utilizing the same code in various forms by writing the code single time. Thus it saves the data space as well as increases the flexibility by using the same code everywhere during data execution. In order to execute this feature java virtual machine first compiles the source code i.e. dot java extension files into directory. Then this source code file is coded into byte code and finally placed into dot class files into the directory. When this virtual machine starts the execution of byte code then java language gets interpreted as machine language in the directory.

2. What is garbage collection concept in Java?

Unlike C++ programming language, Java does not use the automatic response for assigning the memory location to data codes. Thus it avoids the problem of memory space corruption, data loss, as well as data garbage collection in the system. Instead Java uses a smart feature called garbage collector, which checks the free memory space into the system & overrides the delete operation thus avoiding the free data going into garbage box location & using the codes into other location.

3. Describe some core application of Java?

This is the usual question asked by the recruiter while during Core java interview questions round, as java has enabled its application from just a simple web based application to various high end industrial application. Java is currently being used in 3-D gaming application, flash video application, financial application in banks & other economical transactions, mobile, laptops, speakers & camera applications. You name any segment, and Java based application is there.

4. Is Java secure?

Java works on the abstraction and encapsulation concept which prohibits the access of data by third party or external user without getting permission from the content owner. This is the main reason, behind increasing use of java by the personal as well as corporate users for different web enabled applications. So yes Java is a highly secure language.

5. What is multithreading concept in Java?

Multithreading concept in Java works on principle of simultaneous running of different codes present into different classes or threads. Thus a single CPU can be used for executing different classes of data simultaneously as well as separately without disturbing the other threads working. Multiple tab opening in browsers is one such application of multithreading concept in Java.

These core Java interview questions combined with daily practice on core java programming would help you in coming out with flying colors while appearing for java based technical interview rounds. So just be prepared, confident & give your best show and you would surely convert your interview call.

Friday, 15 April 2011

Why It Makes Sense to Outsource Web Development and Hire PHP Developers

PHP, a server side scripting used for generating dynamic web pages, has found favor with the vast majority of developers and programmers because it is fast, economical, dependable and secure. As PHP codes can be implanted effortlessly to the other scripting languages like HTML and XHTML, it is very effective. Programmers building software solutions for social networking, ecommerce and shopping cart, use PHP a lot. You can do a lot worse than outsourcing your project to an offshore firm that can provide good applications and build good websites at lesser cost.

Let's take a look at the options you have when using PHP. You can train your own programmers and then use their skills to create a website or develop related applications. This approach has one huge advantage: you can get exactly what you want by maintaining close contact with the developers. But it also costs a lot in time and energy. You can also outsource your PHP development work. This can drastically reduce your spending, but you cannot be really sure of what you are getting. You can also hire PHP developer from a company that offers such flexible services.

You can outsource your work to a freelancer, but only if you are a hundred percent sure of his credentials. You don't want sloppy work, and more importantly, you do not want to give away your money to someone who might suddenly disappear. Another alternative is giving the project to a reputed IT company that has experience with the kind of project you are offering. But such a company may charge a lot and after the initial discussions you might not have much say in how the project evolves.

But, if you choose the other option: hire PHP developer from an IT company. By choosing this alternative you can ensure the quality and timely completion of the project and, at the same time, save money. This option brings to the table the two best things about PHP web development and applications: high-quality output and economical rates.

Good software development companies that provide this option adopt systems that ensure customized solutions for your needs. For instance, lack of communication between the client and the developer can be a major issue. But good companies let you keep in touch with your PHP developer through chat, mail and phone. They also give you a detailed daily, weekly or monthly report, detailing the progress of your project.

Also, when you hire PHP developer from a repute company, the developer is contracted to you and works exclusively on your project. You are also allowed to increase or decrease the number of employees on your project, if the project requirements are dynamic. As these PHP programmers deliver high-quality work for a lot less than the ones in your country, you can save a lot of money. You also have a legally binding contract with the company that provides the PHP programmers, and this ensures that nothing goes wrong with your project.

Saturday, 9 April 2011

Write Phone Applications With Web APIs

Have you ever wanted to build a custom phone feature, like a patch-through or lead tracking application, but then gave up because you had no idea how to write a program that made a phone call? Thanks to a new breed of web services, APIs for making and receiving phone calls, any web developer can integrate phone calls into their applications.

For example, let's say that you wanted to track how many people called you back from message you left on their answer machines. With just a little bit of programming knowledge, you can provision a local phone number that forwards to your office's line. Every time someone calls the forwarding number, your application can enter the caller ID of the caller into a database, along with the time and date of the call. Then you will know which of your calls came from call-backs, and which from other sources.

Here's another example. Maybe you run a data center, and you want to notify your customers immediately if you ever have an outage. Sending an email isn't fast enough, especially on the weekend when people aren't at their desks. Using one of these APIs, you could create an application that, when your monitoring software detects a problem with your servers, automatically calls up your clients and plays a message alerting them that you're working to fix the problem.

Let's look at one more. Maybe you have a brilliant idea for a new kind of conference call where people can interact with each other by pressing buttons on their keypad. With just a few simple commands, you can write a basic version of your application that conferences people together and takes different actions depending on the buttons they press on their keypads.

The most popular web services APIs are Twilio, Tropo, and Ifbyphone.

If you aren't familiar with web services APIs, they're very simple to learn and use. Basically, your application interacts through simple HTTP requests, just like when you visit a web page. Information is transmitted through simple XML languages that are easy to read and understand. Combined with a rapid development environment like Ruby on Rails or Django, it's simple to build web applications that interact with phones. This is a huge improvement over the old way of doing things, where you'd have to negotiate a deal with a VoIP carrier, learn to program Asterisk, set up your own Asterisk server, and learn a bunch of specialized languages and protocols. Companies like Twilio, Tropo, and Ifbyphone have taken the complexity away from programming phone calls into your application.

The uses for these web services APIs are really only limited by your imagination. Try them out!

Friday, 8 April 2011

Three Major Types of Environmental Pollution

When we talk about the Earth’s environment, we generally refer to the atmosphere (air), lithosphere (soil/rock) and hydrosphere (water) - which happen to be the three spheres of the planet (with the fourth sphere being the biosphere comprising of all living forms on the planet.) When contaminants are introduced into any of these three components of the planet it amounts to pollution. For instance, release of harmful gases in the atmosphere results in air pollution, discharge of sewage waste in water bodies results in water pollution and introduction of harmful chemicals in soil results in soil pollution. Of the various different types of environmental pollution that the planet is subjected to, air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution are the three major types.

Major Types of Pollution

Three major types of environmental pollution as stated above are water, air and soil pollution. There are different ways in which the quality of the environment is degraded by these means. Let us have a look at the environmental pollution factsthrough this article.

Air Pollution
This kind of pollution results from the adulteration of pure air which exists in nature. There are many pollutants released in the air which dilute the natural/original quality. Most of these pollutants are emitted from industrial plants. Automobiles also play a major role in raising the levels of air pollution. The carbon monoxide and other sulfur-based gases released by vehicles are greatly responsible for air pollution. It was at the onset of the Industrial Revolution that air pollution started affecting our world to a great extent. Today, there are many different sources of air pollution. Chloro-fluoro carbon is one of the greenhouse gases along with carbon monoxide which causes thinning of the ozone layer. The ozone layer is important from the point of protecting life on earth as it blocks the ultraviolet rays from entering the atmosphere of our planet. The particulate matter present in air apart from the above mentioned gases is the cause of health problems like asthma. Air pollution is also the cause of acid rains. Acid rain affects the quality of soil that they seep into; chemicals which come down in the form of acid rain, renders it useless for plant growth.

Water Pollution
The quality of water on earth is undergoing degradation day-by-day as a result of accumulation of pollutants. The pollutants which alter the quality of water include industrial effluents, insecticides that are washed off in water bodies, oil spills, etc. All these pollutants have a damaging effect on the flora and fauna of our plant. For example, oil spills cause the death of thousands of fish every year. Industrial effluents drained into rivers damage the quality of water and even cause the death of many aquatic animals. Impure water is the cause of many water borne diseases (typhoid, diarrhea) in human beings. The water containing chemicals also affects the normal functioning of the liver and kidneys.

Soil Pollution
The pollution of soil affects the entire ecosystem as it's the source of food/nutrition of all the living beings on earth. Any alteration of the purity of this natural resource (soil) has a 'chain-reaction' kind of effect. Pollutants mixed in the soil enter the food chain and disseminate to every nook and corner of the planet. Amongst the three major types of environmental pollution, soil pollution is therefore, the most dangerous. Apart from insecticides, pollutants in the soil are also emitted as a result of leaching of landfill wastes. More information on different types of environmental pollution should help in getting a better idea of this topic.

The description of three major types of environmental pollution presented through this article should give an idea about the agents/pollutants which deteriorate the quality of our natural resources. It is important that these pollutants are kept under check in order to maintain the purity of our natural resources.

Thursday, 7 April 2011

How to Restore an iPod Touch

Your iPod Touch is full of songs, information and other data, that you have installed. But if the data gets erased by accident, or something happens, and you want the device back to its default settings, what can you do? The answer is restore it. The iPod Touch has a restore option, where you can restore data from a backup, or restore the original factory settings, that came with the device when it was new. Along with resetting a forgotten password and resetting the entire device, how to restore an iPod Touch is a common query. In this article, the steps for restoring data from a backup, restoring the iPod Touch to factory settings and restoring a stuck or frozen device, are explained.

How to Restore an iPod Touch - Important Points

Before carrying out any of the steps mentioned below, understand the real meaning of restore. When you restore an iPod Touch, all the data stored on the iPod Touch will be erased, including music, videos, calendar information and personalized settings like themes and passwords. The device is formatted and the original factory settings are present on the iPod Touch. Unless you have created a backup of your data using the iTunes sync feature, all the data present is lost during restoration. It is best to keep an up-to-date backup of your data, using the sync feature. Read all the steps first, before performing any.

How to Restore an iPod Touch to Factory Settings

  • Before restoring, check that the iTunes software is installed and running on your computer, and that the most recent version is present.
  • Connect the iPod Touch to your computer, using the provided USB cable.
  • In the iTunes software, look for Devices on the sidebar and under that pane, your iPod Touch should appear. Select it.
  • Select the Summary tab.
  • Select the Restore option.
  • You will receive a prompt to back up your settings before restoring. If you have not recently created a backup, click on the Back Upbutton. If you have a backup of your data, click on the Don't Back Up button.
  • Select the Restore button in the next prompt.
  • Do not touch or click anything on the screen or the iPod Touch, until the restore process is over.
  • Once the process is over, a prompt appears, the iPod Touch restarts and shows the Apple logo.
  • The iPod Touch has been successfully restored to factory settings.
How to Restore an iPod Touch from Backup
  • Connect the iPod Touch to your computer, using the USB cable.
  • The iTunes software should load automatically. If not, click on the iTunes icon to launch the software.
  • Look for the Devices tab in the sidebar. Click on it and your iPod Touch will be displayed below.
  • Right-click your iPod Touch and select the Restore From Back Up option.
  • iTunes will now restore your iPod Touch with a previously created backup.
The above steps will work, provided you have backed up your data, previously. Restoring from a back up, means that the settings, data and application information, which you made a backup off, has been restored. For example, if you had 20 songs, and your backup has 25, when you restore from backup, your song collection has 25 songs. But a software restore, (the first how-to) erases all the content present on the iPod Touch, and restores to factory default settings. It's like the iPod Touch is just out of the box. And always update your iTunes software, prior to any restoring and backing up processes.

How to Restore an iPod Touch - Frozen or Stuck Device

When your iPod Touch goes into a frozen or unresponsive state, it should be forced into "Recovery" mode, to be restored.
  • Connect one end of your USB cable into the USB port on your computer. Do not plug in the other end of the cord into the iPod Touch yet.
  • Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button (the button on the top of the iPod Touch), until a red slider image appears on the screen. It says "slide to power off". Slide it to the "OFF" position. Wait until the iPod Touch shuts down.
  • Now hold the Home button (the main square button on the iPod Touch) and the Sleep button at the same time, until the Apple logo appears. The iPod Touch has now restarted successfully. If the device is still unresponsive, then please see the next steps.
  • Update your iTunes software, or reinstall the software with the latest version.
  • Launch the iTunes software. Press and hold the Home button on your iPod Touch, while plugging in the USB cable to the iPod Touch.
  • Hold down the Home and Sleep button on the iPod Touch until a message appears on the iTunes software, asking to restore factory settings.
  • Click Yes and let the iTunes program reset the device.
After these steps, the iPod Touch is reset to factory settings and should work, but all your data will be lost. You can use the above "how to restore an iPod Touch from backup" steps to restore your data from a backup.

How to Restore iPod Touch without iTunes

iTunes is the provided and necessary software for managing your iPod Touch. For erasing, restoring and transferring files, you should use the iTunes software only. There are some external software, available on the Internet, which can be used to manage your iPod Touch, without iTunes. But these freewares come with a risk of viruses or worms and their effects are unpredictable. The recommended procedure is to use the iTunes software itself. If the software is not functioning, uninstall it from your PC and then download and install the latest version from the official Apple site.

The best practice with maintaining data, is regular backups. That way, even if you have to erase everything on your iPod Touch, at least you can easily restore it and so nothing is actually lost. When carrying out any restoration procedure, be patient. Don't press buttons on the device or open other programs when the iTunes is carrying out the restore procedure.

What is Vegetative Reproduction

Vegetative reproduction is applicable for plants only, and is categorized under asexual reproduction. The alternative names for this type of reproduction are vegetative cloning, vegetative multiplication and vegetative propagation. Cloning is so called, as the resulting offspring are genetically similar to the parent plant.Vegetative propagation can be conducted manually by artificial methods. More info on what is vegetative reproduction and its various examples are highlighted in the upcoming paragraphs.

What is Vegetative Reproduction in Plants?

Vegetative reproduction is defined as the production of new plantlets from the vegetative parts (leaf, stem, roots) of the parent plant. For this to take place, there is no need for pollination, fertilization of the male and female reproductive cells, production of spores and any such processes that require male and female gametes. Since no meiosis or syngamy takes place, the daughter plants are similar to each other, and also to the mother plant. Some profound examples of natural vegetative reproduction in plants are listed below:

  • Buds formation in the edges of a kalanchoe leaf, which later grows as individual plants.
  • Production of daughter strawberry plants from runners. The same is observed in spider and ivy plants.
  • Corm formation of gladiolus, iris, saffron, arrowhead, etc. as a means to produce new plants.
  • The fleshy stem of ginger and turmeric grows underground, and produces several plants from it.
  • Plants of the lily family (onion, garlic, tuberose, etc.) produce bulbs for vegetative reproduction.
  • Development of gemmae in mosses and liverworts, which after detaching from the mother plants give rise to new plants.
  • Potato and dahlia tubers containing eyes are buried in the soil for developing new plants.
The types of vegetative propagation that are commonly studied in horticulture science are budding, grafting, layering, marcotting and cuttings. Another complex kind of vegetative cloning that is carried out under controlled laboratory conditions is called plant tissue culture. This involves culturing of a specific plant part in a nutrient medium and providing required growth factors. With the advent of this technique, cultivation of plants that do not produce seeds or those that give nonviable seeds has become very easy.

An Overview of Vegetative Reproduction

There are both advantages and disadvantages of vegetative propagation. A concern with natural vegetative propagation is, the new plants detached from the parent grow in the same area, resulting in crowdedness. This leads to competition amongst the plants in the specific growing area for space, light and nutrition. As expected, they have less vigor, and many die due to lack of sufficient light and food. The major advantages of this asexual reproduction in plants are mentioned below:
  • With this asexual reproduction type, parent plants can give rise to new offspring on their own. They do not need pollinating agents (like, wind, water and insects) for promoting fertilization.
  • Only one plant is sufficient for giving rise to offspring without undergoing the hassles of cross pollination, which is crucial for some plants (e.g. apple). Thus, from a single plant, you can propagate many plantlets by vegetative cloning.
  • Desirable attributes of the parent plant are restored in the offspring without alteration, which is not so with seed propagated plants. Thus, juicy and sweet apple varieties are commercially produced by grafting method.
  • Offspring are produced at a faster rate from the vegetative parts that store essential nutrients. Also, the new plants after separating from the mother plant establish to the particular area more easily.
This was a brief explanation on 'what is vegetative reproduction' along with examples and advantages. The con side of this propagation method lies in the fact that, the resulting daughter plants are clones of the parent plant and you cannot expect any variation in them. While this is beneficial for restoring qualitative traits in the offspring, it reduces adaptation and survival rate of new plants to the prevailing climate. In other words, variation in plants propagated by means of seeds is beneficial to cope up with the ever changing environmental conditions.

How to Use iPhone 4 as a Hard Drive

he Apple iPhone is one of the most beautiful examples of technology elevated to the level of art. The multipurpose iPhone 4 is the most coveted possession of any technophile. Not only does it provide great cell phone connectivity, it lets you access high speed Internet, video call friends and family, while also doubling up as your complete entertainment center. With 16 GB or 32 GB of hard drive space on the phone, it would be great, if you could use it as a portable storage device. Unfortunately, this is not possible, as iTunes do not allow you to use iPhone as a hard drive. However, there are third party applications like 'Phone Disk', which can let you use iPhone as a portable hard drive. In this Buzzle article, I will show you how to use iPhone 4 as a portable hard drive using Phone Disk.

The range of iPhone apps that have been released recently, can help you truly harness the potential of this amazing gizmo. Besides the plenty of utility, entertainment and games apps provided, there are some like Phone Disk, that help you get over the limitations imposed by Apple through iTunes. With these apps, you can directly transfer computer files to the 16 GB or 32 GB flash memory based hard drive. Let us see how to use Phone Disk to enable the facility of disk storage on iPhone.

How to Use iPhone 4 as a Hard Drive Using Phone Disk?

Launched by Macroplant, Phone Disk is an iPhone app designed to manage and transfer files from your Windows or Macintosh PC, to your iPhone. You don't need to jailbreak your iPhone to use this application. It's a paid app, with a price tag of $19.95. You can download and use the trial version for free, for a limited period. It can directly mount iPhone 4 as a hard drive.

This software works with the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. For Phone Disk to work on your Mac, you need iTunes version 8, 9 or later and have Mac OS X 10.5, 10.6 or later versions. If you are using a Windows machine, you will need Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, along with iTunes latest version, for this application to work.

Step 1: Install Phone Disk
Buy the application and install it on your Mac or Windows PC. Once it's installed, you must launch Phone Disk from 'Applications' and register with the appropriate registration code, that is supplied by Macroplant. With the activation complete, using the application is extremely simple.

Step 2: Connect iPhone Using USB cable
To use your iPhone as a hard drive, just connect it with your computer, using the USB cable supplied with it. Once you have connected it, launch Phone Disk by double clicking on it. In the preferences tab of the application, check the box which allows the application to launch at startup. The application will automatically detect the hard drive on your iPhone and open a window showing its contents.

Step 3: Transfer Files to iPhone Hard Drive
You can now drag and drop files from your computer hard drive to the iPhone hard drive for storage. You can also access the image files on your iPhone using the application. You can also copy image files from your computer to the iPhone. This application lets you access multiple Apple devices simultaneously on your computer. So you can use it to access and save data on your iPod and iPad at the same time. To access data on the iPhone hard drive, you will need to have Phone Disk installed on the PC you use. You might also want to know how to use iPhone as modem.

You may use any one of the above applications to use your iPhone to carry data, like you would in an external hard drive. This extends the utility of your iPhone 4 and you don't need to carry a USB flash drive or any other extra storage device for transporting important data. Try out either one of Phone Disk today and add to the utility value of your iPhone 4.

What is Thermal Energy

tudying physics is all about studying the interaction between matter and energy. As you go deeper in studying these two entities, you realize that matter and energy are in fact just two sides of the same coin. As modern quantum field theory and nuclear physics reveals, energy and matter are inter-convertible. Energy manifests itself in various forms and every change that happens in nature is an energy change of some kind. Of the many forms of energy, the most closely experienced of its manifestations is thermal energy. In this Buzzle article, I shall provide you with an explanation of what is thermal energy in a nutshell.

What is Thermal Energy?

Every piece of matter is made up of atoms and every atom is in an incessant vibrational motion. This constant oscillatory motion of atoms, which never ceases, constitutes the thermal energy that pervades all matter. The sum total of the kinetic energy of atoms and molecules, due to their incessant motion, is known as thermal energy. According to thermodynamics, the thermal energy of any system is just a part of the total internal energy of the system. Temperature is a measure of the thermal energy of matter, which in turn is a measure of the kinetic energy of atoms and molecules.

When substances receive heat energy, they vibrate with greater amplitudes and frequencies, giving rise to an increase in the thermal energy of the system. Heat is not same as thermal energy. Rather, thermal energy acquired by matter from surroundings is an effect of absorption of heat. When two systems with unequal temperatures come together, in contact with each other, there is a transfer of heat which continues until both acquire the same levels of thermal energy.

Thermal Energy Equation for an Thermal Energy Equation

Thermodynamics is the study of work and energy acquired from any system. Physicists like to study the simplest case of a problem, before studying more complex ones. Real gases are complex systems to study and hence they study what are known as ideal gases first, which are monoatomic gases with negligible inter-atomic forces. Here is the thermal energy equation for an ideal gas.

Thermal Energy (EThermal) = ½ N x M x v2 = 3/2 NkT

where N is the number atoms, M is the mass of every atom and v2 is the average value of square of velocity, for that system of gaseous atoms, k is the Boltzmann's constant and T is the overall temperature of the gas. The first term tells us how the thermal energy is a function of the velocity of the atoms, while the second term identifies its dependency on the temperature of the system, which is again a measure of its kinetic energy (that is again function of velocity).

Sources of Thermal Energy

There are several sources of thermal energy on Earth. However, the prime source of thermal energy which drives all the natural systems on Earth is the Sun. The thermal energy of the Sun, generated through nuclear fusion is radiated to Earth in the form of electromagnetic waves. A second source of thermal energy is the hot core of the Earth, providing what is called geothermal energy. Other than these two sources, any combustion reaction including any exothermic reaction which generates heat, is a source of thermal energy. Solar energy, as a thermal energy source, is being increasingly tapped into to take advantage of the almost limitless energy it provides.

Hope this article has given you a clear idea of what is thermal energy and its true nature. To put it in the simplest of words, thermal energy is the macroscopic manifestation of the collective kinetic energy of atoms and molecules that constitute all of matter.

Land Pollution Solutions


Land pollution, which is otherwise known as soil pollution, can be defined as the degradation of soil as well as land surfaces, due to various reasons. The most common cause of land pollution is solid waste that is dumped in large quantities. Others include the chemicals used for agriculture, industrial waste, etc. Such pollution is a health hazard for both humans as well as other living beings on the Earth. In the long run, land pollution may disrupt the balance of Nature, thereby, causing natural calamities. Let us take a look at the various aspects of land pollution, especially, about land pollution solutions.

Some Land Land pollution, which is otherwise known as soil pollution, can be defined as the degradation of soil as well as land surfaces, due to various reasons. The most common cause of land pollution is solid waste that is dumped in large quantities. Others include the chemicals used for agriculture, industrial waste, etc. Such pollution is a health hazard for both humans as well as other living beings on the Earth. In the long run, land pollution may disrupt the balance of Nature, thereby, causing natural calamities. Let us take a look at the various aspects of land pollution, especially, about land pollution solutions. 

Some Land Pollution Facts

As aforementioned, land pollution is mainly caused by solid waste that is dumped on the Earth. There are various factors that are responsible for the ever increasing amount of waste that has been accumulating on the land. This include the rise in population, rapid urbanization and industrialization. Even lack of awareness about the land pollution causes and effects and neglecting pollution control norms are certain factors that contribute to this condition. It has been observed that waste disposal is not done properly. While, some of the biodegradable wastes take long to decompose, the non-biodegradable ones, like plastic and electronic goods remain the same for years, posing a health threat.

Even the industrial waste with chemicals can cause degradation of the soil as well as water. This also applies to the fertilizers and pesticides used for agriculture. So, there are many different causes of land pollution. Apart from being a health concern, land pollution will also affect the flora and fauna detrimentally. While, some of these waste materials (dumped on land) release harmful chemicals that can pollute the soil as well as groundwater. They may also hinder the process of groundwater accumulation. Eventually, it may also contribute to natural calamities. Now that you have a fair idea about this problem, let us take a look at some of the possible land pollution solutions.

Solutions for Land Pollution

Even a layman with a basic understanding about land pollution facts, will be able to come up with solutions for the same. Such solutions can be derived from the causes themselves. The following are some of the solutions for land pollution.
  • As the most common cause for land pollution is waste disposal, most of the control measures are associated with that. s one of the golden rules for curbing land pollution. This is much more important in case of disposal of toxic waste products. Industries must follow the laws with regard to waste disposal.Proper waste disposal i
  • Another land pollution solution is recycling. Apart from reducing the amount of waste products in the landfills, it also helps in curbing the dumping of non-biodegradable waste on the Earth. Recycling is also beneficial in lowering other forms of pollution, cost savings and savings of energy resources.
  • You must also try to reuse materials, if possible. Reusing is always beneficial than buying new ones. For example, you may use plastic and cardboard containers for further use. Otherwise store them and sell them for recycling. You may also make some money by refraining from buying new products and also by selling the unwanted materials for recycling.
  • So, each and every individual can contribute for this good cause, by taking efforts to curb land pollution. You may also reduce the use of non-biodegradable materials. For example, you may carry paper or cloth bags with you, so as to avoid taking a plastic carry bag from the shop. If you can, switch over to biodegradable materials. Use glass or metal products instead of plastic ones.
As land pollution is a problem that is detrimental to mankind as well as to nature as a whole, efforts to curb it must be taken by each and every individual. Authorities must take efforts to spread awareness about the causes and effects of land pollution. Even the industries must strictly follow the norms for waste product disposal. So, encourage recycling and reuse of non-biodegradable materials, avoid the use of harmful chemical pesticides as well as fertilizers and refrain from dumping toxic wastes on land. All these measures can contribute greatly for controlling land pollution.


As aforementioned, land pollution is mainly caused by solid waste that is dumped on the Earth. There are various factors that are responsible for the ever increasing amount of waste that has been accumulating on the land. This include the rise in population, rapid urbanization and industrialization. Even lack of awareness about the land pollution causes and effects and neglecting pollution control norms are certain factors that contribute to this condition. It has been observed that waste disposal is not done properly. While, some of the biodegradable wastes take long to decompose, the non-biodegradable ones, like plastic and electronic goods remain the same for years, posing a health threat.

Even the industrial waste with chemicals can cause degradation of the soil as well as water. This also applies to the fertilizers and pesticides used for agriculture. So, there are many different causes of land pollution. Apart from being a health concern, land pollution will also affect the flora and fauna detrimentally. While, some of these waste materials (dumped on land) release harmful chemicals that can pollute the soil as well as groundwater. They may also hinder the process of groundwater accumulation. Eventually, it may also contribute to natural calamities. Now that you have a fair idea about this problem, let us take a look at some of the possible land pollution solutions.

Solutions for Land Pollution

Even a layman with a basic understanding about land pollution facts, will be able to come up with solutions for the same. Such solutions can be derived from the causes themselves. The following are some of the solutions for land pollution.
  • As the most common cause for land pollution is waste disposal, most of the control measures are associated with that. Proper waste disposal is one of the golden rules for curbing land pollution. This is much more important in case of disposal of toxic waste products. Industries must follow the laws with regard to waste disposal.
  • Another land pollution solution is recycling. Apart from reducing the amount of waste products in the landfills, it also helps in curbing the dumping of non-biodegradable waste on the Earth. Recycling is also beneficial in lowering other forms of pollution, cost savings and savings of energy resources.
  • You must also try to reuse materials, if possible. Reusing is always beneficial than buying new ones. For example, you may use plastic and cardboard containers for further use. Otherwise store them and sell them for recycling. You may also make some money by refraining from buying new products and also by selling the unwanted materials for recycling.
  • So, each and every individual can contribute for this good cause, by taking efforts to curb land pollution. You may also reduce the use of non-biodegradable materials. For example, you may carry paper or cloth bags with you, so as to avoid taking a plastic carry bag from the shop. If you can, switch over to biodegradable materials. Use glass or metal products instead of plastic ones.
As land pollution is a problem that is detrimental to mankind as well as to nature as a whole, efforts to curb it must be taken by each and every individual. Authorities must take efforts to spread awareness about the causes and effects of land pollution. Even the industries must strictly follow the norms for waste product disposal. So, encourage recycling and reuse of non-biodegradable materials, avoid the use of harmful chemical pesticides as well as fertilizers and refrain from dumping toxic wastes on land. All these measures can contribute greatly for controlling land pollution.