Chomp

Android results now gone from Apple-owned Chomp

App search tool Chomp, which was quietly purchased by Apple in late February, has since stopped serving results for Google's Android platform.

The change was spotted by GigaOm this morning, and goes back as far as last week, according to a cached version of the page.

No word yet on what this means for Verizon, which uses Chomp's technology to deliver results in its own mobile application store. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the change.

Chomp launched in early 2010 as an alternate search tool for sifting through Apple's App … Read more

Report: Apple picks up Chomp to bolster App Store

Apple has purchased mobile-application search and discovery company Chomp, according to a new report.

TechCrunch says Apple has acquired Chomp, along with its employees and technology, to bolster the search and recommendation features in the App Store, which is now home to more than 550,000 applications.

The price of the deal and when it was made were not mentioned.

An Apple representative declined to comment on the report but issued the following statement: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not comment on our purpose or plans."

A spokeswoman for Chomp … Read more

Verizon improves search in its app store

Verizon Wireless wants to make it easier to use its app store.

The wireless provider said today that it is partnering with start-up Chomp to improve the accuracy and relevancy of searches in its Verizon app store. Rather than search by name, Chomp provides results based on what an app does, as opposed to what it is called.

The two are looking to shore up a natural dilemma that has sprung up from having so many different applications: finding the right app for you. Verizon is hoping that the better search function will set it apart from other app stores and draw in new users. Chomp, which already has a search app on iOS and Android, benefits from the high-profile partnership.

"It's widely known in the mobile app world that there's so many apps that it's terribly difficult for customers to find quality content," said Todd Murphy, director of customer service at Verizon. "It's really going to take app discoverability and the app search approach to a whole new level."

Chomp Chief Executive Ben Keighran said: "It's actually a difficult problem."

He noted that when you search for a generic task or topic, you almost always get poor search results. That's because few people have invested in app searches, he said.

The partnership is part of Verizon's push to better lure in developers and get a piece of the app business largely dominated by the likes of Apple and Google. Today marks the start of the Verizon Developer Community Conference in Las Vegas. … Read more