Apple Puts Chomp Acquisition to Use in iOS 6 App Store

Six months after acquiring San Francisco-based startup Chomp, Apple is finally getting around to integrating the mobile search engine into its operating system.

Apple's iOS 6, expected to debut this fall alongside the next-gen iPhone, will include a redesigned app-searching layout, as evidenced by a recent update to the OS beta version.

According to 9to5Mac, which first reported the changes, the iOS 6 App Store displays applications in swipeable cards, where searchers can see the app title, the five-star rating system, and a button to install the app on your iPhone or iPad. This appears above a screenshot of the app, much like you would find on the desktop version of the App Store.

The new interface is reminiscent of Chomp, which formerly made app discovery tools for Apple and Google's Android products, using an algorithm that learns the functions of apps, then allows users to search based on what an app does, rather than its given title.

In late April, Apple dropped Chomp's Android support, and rumors swirled that Cupertino would revamp its App Store with the help of the newly acquired Chomp.

Meanwhile, iOS 6 may be putting more emphasis on the Genius recommendation tool, since the button is displayed more prominently in the center of the options listed at the bottom of the store. It is hard to tell what Apple's Genius intentions are, since the feature has apparently not fully come to fruition in the beta version.

9to5Mac also reports the addition of the user's "purchased" section to the display, for retrieval of previously downloaded apps.

Not to be overlooked, the revamped App Store will also return the ability to search for podcasts, an option in iOS 5, but one that is hidden from most viewers' line of sight, 9to5Mac said.

For more, see PCMag's 92 New Features in Apple's iOS 6, as well as Singing the Apple iOS 6 Blues.

For more from Stephanie, follow her on Twitter @smlotPCMag.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2409199,00.asp?kc=PCRSS05039TX1K0000762

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