Photo editing tips for beginners

Every digital camera comes with a variety of automatic functions - but that still doesn't guarantee perfection with every picture.




They can come out blurry, with the horizon at a tilt, the children's eyes red or the summit peak out of focus - any of which can be particularly annoying when you're going through your snapshots after a vacation.




But there are free programmes out there that offer help to beginners and let some of these snaps avoid the recycling bin. Automatic functions in these programmes can be the biggest boon to beginners when it comes to photo manipulation.




'They're a sensible place to start,' says Sebastian Lang of the German magazine Chip Foto Video. Only after trying those should inexperienced users turn to the manual regulation of contrast or colour saturation.




A standard beginner's mistake is the slanted horizon of a  picture taken without a tripod. In landscape shots, this can make it look like the ocean is about to spill out of the picture. That tilt can be corrected - either automatically or by the user - on a computer and then edited so that only the rotated picture remains. But be careful.

'Anyone who straightens a picture and edits gives up some picture information, little details on the edge of the picture might get lost,' warns Christoph Noga, a German photo restorer.

Flash photos can make all the subjects look like they are wearing red contact lenses - the red-eye effect. Many photo manipulation programmes recognize and remove these ugly dots. Some are even free.

Aside well-known applications like Paint.net or the open source programme Gimp, there are other applications out there for beginners.

'XnView is free, simply structured and offers easy batch processing,' says Noga. That allows the computer to automatically make the same change on multiple pictures. Picasa, the free software from Google, is a good alternative, he says.

Among fee-based programmes, Adobe offers Photoshop Elements for about 80 euros (114 dollars). It performs all vital functions. There's also Photomizer, for about 30 euros, which allows especially quick photo processing, says Lang. 'The programme takes on a lot of corrections at the same time - a single click optimizes the image.' There are free test versions of both programmes.

And Apple users don't have to go without. 'iPhoto for the Mac and the Photogene app for iPhone and iPad let you fix up pictures quickly and cheaply,' says Halyna Kubiv from the magazine Macwelt. iPhoto is part of the iLife 11 software package, available for 50 euros. Photogene costs 3 euros. And there's a free version of Gimp for Macs.

But even these programmes can't fix every problem. Fuzzy pictures taken quickly freehand are a particular problem.

'After-the-fact focusing won't save a blurry picture,' says Noga. But it can give the picture more luminosity. Beginners shouldn't be afraid of experimenting here, but also shouldn't overdo it.

'If the contours of the picture are too hard or look artificial, then the severity level is too high,' he says.

Most photo programmes also hit their limits with pictures that are too dark. It's possible to brighten them up digitally, but Lang warns: 'If certain areas are completely overlit or pure black, they're not salvageable on a PC.'

The wrong colour, a result of photographing without a white balance or artificial light sources, is no problem for most programmes. Lang advises relying on the automatic white balance function here. 'Manual manipulation without experience can just damage the picture.'

For those who want to try, the software can set the degree of white in the picture with a mouseclick. Other colours are then adjusted automatically.

Another problem: many photographers only notice after their vacation that little motes of dust on the lenses of their single-reflex cameras or their sensor in other models have caused pixels to appear on all their shots.

This problem can also be touched up automatically, but you can usually get a better result by working manually, says Lang.

Foods for your eyes, skin, hair

Get glowing skin, thicker hair, lustrous peepers and a fitter body, all with a little help from these super foods, says nutritionists.

You don't have to starve yourself to look good. All you need is to eat the right foods. Here's a beauty diet plan carefully put together by our expert to help you look fabulous


Eyes
Green vegetables: Spinach, zucchini, broccoli and Brussels sprouts contain a caroteinoid called lutein and a pigment called zeaxanthinan. Both defend your cells from free radicals and help keep your eyes lustrous. Avoid overcooking for best benefits. Steam or saute, instead.

- Orange and other vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and fibre work against under-eye puffiness.


Skin
Probiotic yoghurt: It contains good bacteria that help your skin look healthy. Eczema sufferers can benefit a great deal from a daily intake.

Fish: Oily fish such as sardines and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids that reduce skin inflammation and keep it moisturised. They also promote elasticity, keeping wrinkles at bay.

Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, etc., contain antioxidant phytonutrients that get rid of free radicals in the blood and guard your collagen, thereby boosting skin repair. Collagen makes your skin supple, smooth and plump.

Nails
Have chicken, turkey, pork, milk, cheese, yeast, peanuts, beans, wholegrain cereals to avoid brittle nails. Pumpkin seeds are one of the most concentrated non-meat sources of zinc. But many vegetarian  foods also contain phytic acid that binds with zinc, making it unavailable to the body. Hence, take a Vitamin C supplement. It will make zinc more available.

Hair
Poultry: Lean meats like chicken and  turkey provide high quality proteins, essential for growth, repair and maintenance. Low-fat milk products such as skimmed milk, yogurt and cottage cheese are great sources too. If you like eggs and don't suffer from high cholesterol, have one yolk a day. It contains Vitamin B-12 which promotes hair growth and prevents hair loss.

Salmon: It contains omega-3 fatty acids, B12 and iron.
Flaxseeds: What salmon does for non-vegetarians, flax seed does for vegans.
Oysters: Try oysters for faster hair growth. They contain zinc.
Whole wheat and brown rice : Make sure you include whole wheat, brown rice and fortified cereals in your everyday diet.

NRI's guide to renting out property in India

Property is a favourite Indian asset class and one of the main reasons for this is its ability to generate regular cashflows through rent. In this column, we will look at the various aspects involved when an NRI rents out a property in India. The definition of NRI for the purposes of repatriation will be that of the FEMA and for the purposes of income tax will be that prescribed in the Income Tax Act.

Can NRIs earn rental income? 
An NRI can rent out property that he owns in India. The rent proceeds can be credited to the NRE or NRO account. Rent proceeds received in these accounts can be freely repatriated. If you do not have an NRE or NRO account, the proceeds can also be directly remitted abroad but you would need an appropriate certificate from a chartered accountant certifying that all taxes have been duly paid.

Is rental income taxed in India? 
Yes, since this income is earned in India, tax will be payable by the NRI in India. In fact, tax will be deducted at source by the payer of the rent. The payer of the rent, in this case, must obtain a TAN number and deduct TDS of 30 per cent from the rent amount. He must also provide a TDS certificate to the NRI.

"The onus of deducting tax is on the payer. So in case the payer does not deduct tax and the NRI too fails to declare the income and pay the tax, the income tax authorities can hold the payer responsible," explains Sandeep Shanbhag, Director, Wonderland Investments.

Having said that, if the tenant does not deduct tax at source, it is prudent to file your tax returns and pay the taxes thereof.

Is rental income taxed in the country of residence? 
When you are an NRI, you are obviously a resident of another country for tax purposes. And in most cases, countries levy tax on residents on their global income. So it may happen that as per provisions of the Indian Income Tax laws, tax will be deducted at source on income earned in India, as is in the case of rent. But at the same time, that income will be subject to tax in your country of residence. In such cases, we need to refer to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements that India has entered into with various countries.

The India-US DTAA for instance provides that rent from immovable property will be taxed in the country in which the property is situated. So NRIs who are residents of US would have to pay tax on rental income in India. While they would still have to declare that income while filing their tax returns in the US, they would get a credit for taxes paid in India.

It is prudent to check the tax laws of the country that you are resident of or consult an expert in that country.

What is deemed rental income? 
According to the Indian Income Tax Act, if a person (resident or NRI) owns more than one house property, only one of them will be deemed as self-occupied. There will be no income tax on a self-occupied property. The other one, whether you rent it out or not, will be deemed to be given on rent. If you have not given the second property on rent, you will have to calculate deemed rental income on the second property (based on certain valuations prescribed by the income tax rules) and pay the tax thereof.

Now, the Income Tax Act does not specify if either or both these properties must be situated only in India. Vikas Vasal, Executive Director of KPMG India explains, "At the time of drafting the Income Tax Act, one did not envisage a situation where an Indian would own properties overseas. But now, more and more Indians are settling abroad. So from the reading of the Act, the rule of 'more than one property' will apply to global properties."

What this means is that if you are an NRI and own only one property globally and that property is in India, you would not have to pay any income tax on the 'deemed rental income' in India.

However, let us say you are an NRI resident in USA. You own and live in a house in USA. You also own a house property in India. Even if you do not give the property in India on rent, you would have to pay income tax on deemed rent in India. The deemed rent is determined by certain valuation rules prescribed in the Income Tax Act.

Remember that even if you have inherited a property in India and that is not your only property, you would have to pay tax on deemed income.

Is deemed income from house property taxed in foreign country? 
You would need to look at the tax code in your country of residence. In the case of NRIs in theUnited States, the US tax code does not tax deemed income. However, Ganga Mukkavilli, a New York City based CPA whose firm, CPAs, Taxes & Associates PC, specialises in international accounting, taxes and small businesses says that you would still have to show the property if it is an investment property in your tax return in the US (even though you do not have any rental income ). "If you do not show this investment property, the problem will arise at the time of sale of property. Suppose you sell a property on which you had no rental income for US tax purposes but had deemed income as per India Tax code, then the amount spent on the maintenance, repairs and renovations and depreciation on this property which may be eligible for deduction or addition to your cost basis while calculating capital gains would become difficult to establish. However, if you have not declared the property in your tax returns, the US tax code may challenge the cost basis (purchase + improvements + suspended losses)to claim a tax deduction at the time of sale," he explains.

"Of course, any investment properties with rental income and related expenses must be reported on Form Schedule E in the US tax returns and rental activities by nature are always treated as 'passive' investments with restrictions on deductibility of the net rental losses. Always consult a tax expert as passive activity rules are quite cumbersome," he adds.

Income tax exemption, possible? 
If your total income in India, including rental income is below the basic exemption limit of Rs 1.6 lakh, you can get a TDS exemption. But the process can be complicated. You would need to apply to the tax authorities for a tax exemption certificate and submit the certificate to the tenant. The issue of the certificate is at the discretion of the tax officer and he needs to be convinced about your case.

Alternately, an easier way would be to file your returns and claim refund of the TDS paid.

In such cases however, the rental income may be taxed fully in the country of your residence (based on the tax laws in that country.) So if you are a resident of the US, even though your income is below the basic exemption limit in India and you pay no taxes in India, this income will be added to your income in the US and taxed according to US laws.

6 Google tricks you didn’t know about

We all know how to search on Google. But not many of us know the tips and tricks that can make Google searches better and in easier on Google.

Having an alternative to something as useful and vast as Google can help us anytime, anywhere. We bring you eight alternative ways to search the most searched engine:

Google WDYL

Google's 'What Do You Love' service is a one-stop-shop destination for all its other services. It collates data from all its services such as YouTube, Translate, Images and News and to you at a single place and in a single click.


Go mobile
Having a hard time reading searching on your mobile? Screen is not large enough to accommodate Google's advertisements, sidebars, images, et al.? Type Google.com/m in your browser to access a cleaner version of the site, minus all its 'unnecessary' frills.

Google vs Bing

Wish you could look at the two most prominent search engines side-by-side saving you considerable amount of time and energy? Yes you can do it.You can check your search results on both Bing and Google at the same time on www.bing-vs-google.com. On the same page you will get the information displayed on both the sites.

Google shell

This alternative way to search Google will, for once, remind you of your HTML lessons. Goosh.org is a Google-interface that behaves similarly to a unix shell. Written by Stefan Grothkopp, Goosh calls itself 'the unofficial Google shell.' Users can type commands such as 'video' or 'news' to obtain results from a particular Google service. Results can be accessed by clicking on their respective links or their numbers can be typed in Goosh. To see more results type 'more'.


Google Squared

If you are tired of seeing search results in the same old 'listed' way and also to get a detailed perspective, try Google Squared. This feature of Google Labs creates tables of data taken from various websites. Once results are displayed individual entries can be clicked to check their source.

Users can even save their own customized tables for future reference. Users can modify their square by removing rows and columns they don't like or by adding new rows and columns and having Google Squared attempt to fetch the relevant facts.

Verify and correct the facts in your square by exploring the original sources and investigating other possible values. Google Squared does the grunt work for you, making research fast and easy.


Voice search

Google chrome has the option of a voice search. When you will open the Google search page you will see a microphone in the search bar. Click this microphone and just say what you are looking for.

The 99 Names and Attributes of Allah (God)

It is not possible to perfectly translate the names and attributes of Allah from their original Arabic into English. However, here are some fairly close explanations.

 Allah: He who has the Godhood which is the power to create the entities.

 Ar-Rahman: The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers and the blasphemers in this world and especially for the believers in the hereafter.

 Ar-Rahim: The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers.

 Al-Malik: The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection.

 Al-Quddus: The One who is pure from any imperfection and clear from children and adversaries.

 As-Salam: The One who is free from every imperfection.

 Al-Mu'min: The One who witnessed for Himself that no one is God but Him. And He witnessed for His
believers that they are truthful in their belief that no one is God but Him.

 Al-Muhaymin: The One who witnesses the saying and deeds of His creatures.

 Al-'Aziz: The Defeater who is not defeated.

 Al-Jabbar: The One that nothing happens in His Dominion except that which He willed.

 Al-Mutakabbir: The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures and from resembling them.

 Al-Khaliq: The One who brings everything from non-existence to existence.

Al-Bari': The Creator who has the Power to turn the entities.

 Al-Musawwir: The One who forms His creatures in different pictures.

 Al-Ghaffar: The One who forgives the sins of His slaves time and time again.

 Al-Qahhar: The Subduer who has the perfect Power and is not unable over anything.

 Al-Wahhab: The One who is Generous in giving plenty without any return.

 Ar-Razzaq: The One who gives everything that benefits whether Halal or Haram.

 Al-Fattah: The One who opens for His slaves the closed worldy and religious matters.

 Al-'Alim: The Knowledgeable; The One nothing is absent from His knowledge.

 Al-Qabid: The One who constricts the sustenance by His wisdom and expands and widens it with His Generosity and Mercy.

 Al-Basit: see above

 Al-Khafid: The One who lowers whoever He willed by His Destruction and raises whoever He willed by His Endowment.

 Ar-Rafi': see above

 Al-Mu'iz: He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him; And He degradeswhoever He willed, hence there is no one to give Him esteem.

 Al-Muthil: see above As-Sami': The One who Hears all things that are heard by His Eternal Hearing without an ear, instrument or organ.

 Al-Basir: The One who Sees all things that are seen by His Eternal Seeing without a pupil or any otherinstrument.

 Al-Hakam: He is the Ruler and His judgment is His Word.

 Al-'Adl: The One who is entitled to do what He does.

 Al-Latif: The One who is kind to His slaves and endows upon them.

 Al-Khabir: The One who knows the truth of things.

 Al-Halim: The One who delays the punishment for those who deserve it and then He might forgive them.

 Al-'Azim: The One deserving the attributes of Exaltment, Glory, Extolement,and Purity from all imperfection.

 Al-Ghafur: The One who forgives a lot.

 Ash-Shakur: The One who gives a lot of reward for a little obedience.

 Al-'Aliyy: The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures.

 Al-Kabir: The One who is greater than everything in status.

 Al-Hafiz: The One who protects whatever and whoever He willed to protect.

 Al-Muqit: The One who has the Power.

 Al-Hasib: The One who gives the satisfaction.

 Aj-Jalil: The One who is attributed with greatness of Power and Glory of status. Al-Karim: The One who is
clear from abjectness.

 Ar-Raqib: The One that nothing is absent from Him. Hence it's meaning is related to the attribute of Knowledge.

 Al-Mujib: The One who answers the one in need if he asks Him and rescues the yearner if he calls upon Him.

 Al-Wasi': The Knowledgeable. Al-Hakim: The One who is correct in His doings.

 Al-Wadud: The One who loves His believing slaves and His believing slaves love Him. His love to His slavesis His Will to be merciful to them and praise them:Hence it's meaning is related to the attributes of the Will and Kalam (His attribute with which He orders and forbids and spoke to Muhammad and Mu sa -peace be upon them- . It is not a sound nor a language nor a letter).

 Al-Majid: The One who is with perfect Power, High Status, Compassion, Generosity and Kindness.

 Al-Ba'ith: The One who resurrects His slaves after death for reward and/or punishment.

 Ash-Shahid: The One who nothing is absent from Him.

 Al-Haqq: The One who truly exists.

 Al-Wakil: The One who gives the satisfaction and is relied upon.

 Al-Qawiyy: The One with the complete Power.

 Al-Matin: The One with extreme Power which is un-interrupted and He does not get tired.

 Al-Waliyy: The Supporter.

 Al-Hamid: The praised One who deserves to be praised.

 Al-Muhsi: The One who the count of things are known to him.

 Al-Mubdi': The One who started the human being. That is, He created him.

 Al-Mu'id: The One who brings back the creatures after death.

 Al-Muhyi: The One who took out a living human from semen that does not have a soul. He gives life
bygiving the souls back to the worn out bodies on the resurrection day and He makes the hearts alive by the light of knowledge.

 Al-Mumit: The One who renders the living dead.

 Al-Hayy: The One attributed with a life that is unlike our life and is not that of a combination of soul, fleshor blood.

 Al-Qayyum: The One who remains and does not end.

 Al-Wajid: The Rich who is never poor.

Al-Wajd is Richness.

 Al-Majid: The One who is Majid.

 Al-Wahid: The One without a partner.

 As-Samad: The Master who is relied upon in matters and reverted to in ones needs.

 Al-Qadir: The One attributed with Power. Al-Muqtadir: The One with the perfect Power that nothing is withheld from Him.

 Al-Muqaddim: The One who puts things in their right places. He makes ahead what He wills and delays what He wills.

 Al-Mu'akhkhir: see above

 Al-'Awwal: The One whose Existence is without a beginning.

 Al-'Akhir: The One whose Existence is without an end.

 Az-Zahir: The One that nothing is above Him and nothing is underneath Him, hence He exists without
aplace. He, The Exalted, His Existence is obvious by proofs and He is clear from the delusions of attributesof bodies.

 Al-Batin: see above

 Al-Wali: The One who owns things and manages them.

 Al-Muta'ali: The One who is clear from the attributes of the creation.

 Al-Barr: The One who is kind to His creatures, who covered them with His sustenance and specified however He willed among them by His support, protection, and special mercy.

 At-Tawwab: The One who grants repentance to whoever He willed among His creatures and accepts his repentance. Al-Muntaqim: The One who victoriously prevails over His enemies and punishes them for their sins. It maymean the One who destroys them.

 Al-'Afuww: The One with wide forgiveness.

 Ar-Ra'uf: The One with extreme Mercy. The Mercy of Allah is His will to endow upon whoever He willedamong His creatures.

 Malik Al-Mulk: The One who controls the Dominion and gives dominion to whoever He willed.

 Thul-Jalal wal-Ikram: The One who deserves to be Exalted and not denied.

 Al-Muqsit: The One who is Just in His judgment.

 Aj-Jami': The One who gathers the creatures on a day that there is no doubt about, that is the Day of Judgment.

 Al-Ghaniyy: The One who does not need the creation.

 Al-Mughni: The One who satisfies the necessities of the creatures.

 Al-Mani': The Supporter who protects and gives victory to His pious believers.

Al-Mu'tiy The Withholder.

 Ad-Darr: The One who makes harm reach to whoever He willed and benefit to whoever He willed.

An-Nafi': see above

An-Nur: The One who guides.

Al-Hadi: The One whom with His Guidance His belivers were guided, and with His Guidance the living: beings have been guided to what is beneficial for them and protected from what is harmful to them.

 Al-Badi': The One who created the creation and formed it without any preceding example.

 Al-Baqi: The One that the state of non-existence is impossible for Him.

 Al-Warith: The One whose Existence remains.

 Ar-Rashid: The One who guides.

 As-Sabur: The One who does not quickly punish the sinners.