Blog Pod - Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Incase you thought we had been kidnapped by aliens for the last year I thought I had better let everyone know what has been happening.

We have been ultra busy. As well has re-leasing new iPhone apps and updates we have also been developing apps for various other platforms including Blackberry, Windows Phone and Mac:

• Blackberry apps: Percentages, VAT, Mortgage Calculator
• Windows Phone apps include: Percentages, DIY Calculator, VAT Calculator, Tip Buddy, Owner Info
• Mac apps include: Percentages, VAT Calculator, European VAT number validator, Who Is
• iPhone / iPad updates to Percentages and VAT Pro

To reflect all the new apps, this website will shortly undergo an update allowing us to showcase our apps for all platforms – Watch this space.

After a disasterous couple of days that saw VAT Pro’s rankings drop to 100 and below we noticed sales steadily start to pick up again throughout the day. So much so that we have been listed in the iTunes “What’s Hot” section in position 3!

Thank you so much to all of our customers. As stated in previous blog entries, version 1.2 in in review with some very exciting new features (well, exciting if you work with VAT)  and we have started working on version 1.3.

After an update to the portal used by iPhone app developers yesterday, many developers are reporting that the screenshots for their apps have gone missing. Instead the app store just shows grey rectangles where the images should be.

In our case, our most recent app has suffered from this and it has had a very bad effect on our rankings. Over night we have dropped by over 50 positions in the business chart after weeks of hard work promoting it. Needless to say we are not happy about this at all. I contacted iPhone development support via the number given on the website only to be told that there is nothing they could do and my only option was to email the relevant department via their online form. My past experience of this is that it takes them 3 or 4 days to respond. I have done this anyway in the hope that they will listen and respond in a timely manor but i’m not expecting a quick response.

Looking into this a bit further, it would appear that apps released yesterday all have missing screen shots and reading the forums where developers hangout suggests that it effects apps that were just released. The odd thing is that our app has been available in the app store for a little while now (although it does have an update waiting for review). So in reality I have no idea what is happening, all I do know is that our sales have been dramatically effected and our app will disappear from the charts by later this evening.

The really frustrating thing is that although Apple will fix this, they will not do anything to compensate for the loss of earnings due to their incompetence and lack of testing (ring a bell – iPhone 4 – loss of signal?). The least I would expect from Apple is for them to restore all of our positions as of yesterday and to re-release new apps.

Come on Apple do the right thing!

I will keep this post updated with the feedback from apple.

VAT Pro the VAT Calculator for iPhone has today been released for sale/upgrade in the App Store. Version 1.1 of VAT Pro includes a shiny new user interface together with a couple of minor new features.

We are pleased to announce that version 1.1 of VAT Pro – the iPhone VAT calculator has been submitted to the app store. Version 1.1 includes a brand new user interface with ultra high resolution graphics which look fantastic on the iPhone retina display. As well as the new interface, the operator keys now remain highlighted when pressed.

More information on VAT Pro, the iPhone VAT Calculator.

We were very pleased to discover that VAT Pro the iPhone VAT Calculator has today entered the New and Noteworthy iTunes list.  Thank you so much to everyone that has purchased our app.

In the UK we have to pay VAT (Value Added Tax) on many of the items we purchase.  Most people know how to add VAT to a value but have difficulty subtracting VAT. This article explains how to do just that.

As of the time of writing, VAT in the UK stands at 17.5%. In January 2011 this is set to change to 20%. We will show some examples below using both VAT rates. Use this calculation when you know the price of an item including VAT (Gross Price) and you want to know what the price was before VAT was added (Net Price):

Example 1: Presuming VAT at 17.5%

Gross Price divided by 1.175 = Net Price (£150 / 1.175 = £127.66)
In this example the price including VAT (Gross) was £150 and the price before VAT was added (Net) was £127.66

Example 2: Presuming VAT at 20%

Gross Price divided by 1.2 = Net Price (£150 / 1.2 = £125.00)
In this example the price including VAT (Gross) was £150 and the price before VAT was added (Net) was £125.00

Calculating the divisor

In the above examples, the divisors were 1.175 and 1.2. How did we get to these? Simply take the rate of VAT i.e. 17.5 and divide by 100 to give you 0.175. Add 1 to this value to give you 1.175.

OK, so now you know the formula and could use a simple calculator to work out the price before VAT but if you want to make your VAT life really easy, why not use our iPhone VAT calculator. With VAT Pro all you need do is enter the price into the ‘Inclusive field’ if you need to know the exclusive price or enter the price into the ‘Exclusive field’ if you need to know the inclusive price. It really is as simple as that. VAT Pro has all VAT / Tax rates for European countries and US states allowing you to quickly switch rates if need be. VAT Pro remembers the VAT rate last used.

VAT Pro for iPhone is now available on the app store.  

VAT Pro is a powerful VAT and Tax Calculator for iPhone which allows you to quickly and effortlessly perform VAT related calculations. Simply enter the Exclusive or Inclusive value, tap Equals and VAT Pro will instantly show you the missing value together with a VAT breakdown.

Rates for 29 European countries and all US states are supplied with more on the way. If your country is not available you can use one of the five custom countries to add your own tax rates. All tax rates and country names are editable and up to four VAT rates can be assigned to each country.

After just one day in the app store, VAT Pro HD, the VAT Calculator for iPad,  jumps in at number 10 in the business charts.  We are all incredibly pleased with this result and offer a huge thank you to everyone that has purchased VAT Pro HD.

See VAT Pro HD – VAT Calculator for iPad for more information.

Before the iPad came along my iPhone 3Gs was used for general Internet browsing, reading up on the latest development tips and tricks, checking email pretty much every evening. Then the iPad came along and this took over as my evening Internet browser. Its large clear display made reading web pages a pleasure. Answering emails, no problem with the large keyboard – I was even mocking up new apps all from the comfort of my sofa BUT then came the iPhone 4 with its ridiculously clear display – i can’t put the dam thing down and it is quickly becoming my preferred Internet browser! I really want to use the iPad but it’s that retina display – it’s so crisp, bright and easy on the eyes.

I look at apps and web pages on the iPad now and, to be honest, they look so blurred and fuzzy I just want to pick up my iPhone 4 instead.  May be it’s just because the iPhone 4 is my new toy and soon i’ll get bored of the zooming and scrolling around – Nah!

Note to Mr Steve Jobs, Hurry up and release an iPad with retina display!