TechCrunch reports that Apple has just acquired a new startup company called Chomp – a unique app search engine that will change the way you search and discover apps on the App Store. The acquisition is important for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the way Chomp actually works.
Chomp describes their service as follows:
Chomp’s proprietary algorithm learns the functions and topics of apps, so you can search based on what apps do, not just what they’re called. Try searching for “puzzle games”, “kids games”, “expense trackers”, “tip calculators” or “chat” and start finding great apps.
This marks a tremendous difference from the way you currently search for apps in the App Store – by searching either for the app title or the developer. With Apple nearing their 25 billionth app download, it’s great that they’re doing something to make app discovery an easier process. I’m certain that many people miss out on a lot of great apps simply because they don’t know the apps exist.
Apple has confirmed the purchase of Chomp to AllThingsD (although it’s unclear how much they paid), so this is about as official as it gets. This backs up a previous report from 9to5Mac suggesting that Apple is planning to completely revamp the App Store and the iTunes Store.
