It's 2011 - do you know where your holiday photos are?
Many may still be on an old USB thumb drive buried in your sock drawer. Others could be inside a dusty laptop with a hard drive that barely boots up. A few are, no doubt, loitering around Facebook somewhere. You probably e-mailed six or seven to your sister. There's a good chance dozens are stuck in a long-forgotten Flickr account with a password you can now only retrieve though deep hypnosis.
The point is, in the analogue era, photos were special things that needed special equipment and special trips to special stores that developed them into special prints. So, naturally, after such a special series of activities, we'd put those special photos in a special place.
But while they often still contain precious memories, digital photos are produced more like commodities; they now flow like tap water out of the kitchen sink, bathtub or garden hose.
That's a good thing in many ways, unless - to extend the metaphor - your attention wanes and your niece's wedding pictures end up in the sewer.
For more of the apps that put the smart in your phone, visit App of the Week.
The app
That's why it's good to have an application such as QuickShot (Dh3.6, iPhone, iPod, iPad), which, when combined with the Web-hosting service Dropbox, automatically uploads your photos to the cloud (ie, the magical place on the internet where nothing ever dies) as soon as you take them.
The details
To use QuickShot's main feature, you need to first go to www.dropbox.com and download and install some software on your computer.
A free Dropbox account (which also has myriad uses) comes with 2 gigabytes of storage - enough for hundreds, if not thousands, of digital photos.
Once you've done that, open QuickShot on your mobile device and link it to your new account by entering your Dropbox username and password in the settings menu. Then each photo you take with the app will be instantly uploaded and filed away in the "photos" folder inside your Dropbox account. The uploading process will even continue in the background once you turn QuickShot off to play Angry Birds.
You can adjust the settings to save duplicates on your device. You can also "confirm uploads", but then you'll have to hit a "use" button after you take every picture, which can be kind of a pain.
QuickShot is otherwise a simple app with all the photo-taking features you'd expect. But the next time you lean over a cruise ship railing and Poseidon claims your iPhone for the sea, you can rest a bit easier knowing your photos, at least, are all safe and dry on a cloud.
Have some great personal finance apps that you want to share? Write to Curt Brandao at cbrandao@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
