App search engine Chomp shuts down, but is Apple cracking down on app discovery apps?
This should come as no surprise to anyone following the saga of Chomp, the app search engine Apple acquired some time ago. It has now ceased operations as an independent app.
Apple appears to have integrated Chomp's technology in the latest major overhaul of the App Store. While some have lauded the changes, others have found search results to sometimes come up lacking.
Personally, I can't fathom why Apple would remove the ability to gift an app from my iOS devices (look and try to gift an app from your iPhone -- you no longer can!), but that's one of many minor issues plaguing Apple's reboot of the store.
Yet more worrisome than the issues in the store itself (which can be fixed on Apple's end) is the possibility of third-party app discovery tools going away. MacRumors points out a quiet change to the developer docs (first mentioned by PocketGamer.biz), which warns devs of apps being rejected if they "display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store."
Never mind how confusing the App Store can be. While I admit there are apps which could lead to customer confusion, there are also some great apps which help people find what they are looking for -- something Apple's store has yet to perfect.
