Chomp loses Android compatibility following Apple acquisition
Following its purchase of the app search engine Chomp, Apple has disabled its functionality with Google's Android mobile operating system.
AppleInsider first began to receive word from readers on Thursday that Chomp was no longer working on Android phones. And as of Friday, the site no longer allows users to search for Android applications, only offering the iPhone and iPad as options.
Apple's purchase of Chomp was first revealed in February by The Wall Street Journal, and the price is believed to be around $50 million. The San Francisco-based company was founded in 2009, and raised $2.5 million in funding before it was bought out.
Aside from the removal of Android from the Chomp.com website, the service looks largely the same. Users can search for what they want for either iPhone or iPad, or see lists options in the categories "Free Apps of the Day," "Trending Apps," "All Time Greats," "On Sale," "Top Twitter Apps," and "New Apps."
The company's "About Us" page makes no mention of Apple or the buyout. It gives a list of angel investors that have backed the company, as well as the company's advisors, which include actor Ashton Kutcher and entrepreneur Kevin Rose.
In addition to a search website, Chomp also has an application available for iOS on the App Store. The free download (iTunes link) currently has a rating of four and a half stars from users.
Chomp was only the second acquisition made by Apple in 2012, despite the fact that the company has a growing cash pile that is over $100 billion. Rather than make a number of high-profile acquisitions, Apple announced in March that it will spend $45 billion over the next three years on a stock dividend and share repurchase program.
It's believed that Apple will use is acquisition of Chomp to improve its own App Store for the iPhone and iPad, specifically the ability of users to find new applications from the digital storefront. The company revealed this week in its quarterly earnings conference call that there are more than 600,000 applications currently available on the iOS App Store, with 200,000 of those designed specifically for the iPad.
AppleInsider first began to receive word from readers on Thursday that Chomp was no longer working on Android phones. And as of Friday, the site no longer allows users to search for Android applications, only offering the iPhone and iPad as options.
Apple's purchase of Chomp was first revealed in February by The Wall Street Journal, and the price is believed to be around $50 million. The San Francisco-based company was founded in 2009, and raised $2.5 million in funding before it was bought out.
Aside from the removal of Android from the Chomp.com website, the service looks largely the same. Users can search for what they want for either iPhone or iPad, or see lists options in the categories "Free Apps of the Day," "Trending Apps," "All Time Greats," "On Sale," "Top Twitter Apps," and "New Apps."
The company's "About Us" page makes no mention of Apple or the buyout. It gives a list of angel investors that have backed the company, as well as the company's advisors, which include actor Ashton Kutcher and entrepreneur Kevin Rose.
In addition to a search website, Chomp also has an application available for iOS on the App Store. The free download (iTunes link) currently has a rating of four and a half stars from users.
Chomp was only the second acquisition made by Apple in 2012, despite the fact that the company has a growing cash pile that is over $100 billion. Rather than make a number of high-profile acquisitions, Apple announced in March that it will spend $45 billion over the next three years on a stock dividend and share repurchase program.
It's believed that Apple will use is acquisition of Chomp to improve its own App Store for the iPhone and iPad, specifically the ability of users to find new applications from the digital storefront. The company revealed this week in its quarterly earnings conference call that there are more than 600,000 applications currently available on the iOS App Store, with 200,000 of those designed specifically for the iPad.
Comments
Billion, not million; a $100 million cash pile won't take Apple very far.
Why would they, Google makes a lot of money off iOS users with ads and such.
Those stock dividends would really hurt if it were! Lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
Ouch! I hope Google don't reciprocate in kind!
What are they going to do? If they try to cut off their search or map, they'd land in front of the DOJ faster than you could say 'illegal abuse of monopoly power'.
I know, just kidding really.
How is cutting search or maps from a class of users violating monopoly status? Besides being a monopoly is not illegal either. Using your monopoly status in one market to win another is illegal.
I liked Apple much better when Google were friends and Microsoft a common enemy. Nowadays Apple reeks of evil more than any other tech company (they are at the forefront of tech companies that want to kill general computing and sell you appliances). And it's all about profits it seems and mobile devices. Macs are second class citizens. Sad, but Apple is becoming irrelevant to people who really care about technology and its future. They turned into their nightmare big fat bully from their 1984 ad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
What are they going to do? If they try to cut off their search or map, they'd land in front of the DOJ faster than you could say 'illegal abuse of monopoly power'.
I'm sure that Google could decide not to renew the Search and Maps contracts when they come up for renewal. Remember, Google is the one paying Apple for the privilege of being on iOS not the other way around. Of course, why would they not renew since Google makes plenty of money off of iOS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
How is cutting search or maps from a class of users violating monopoly status? Besides being a monopoly is not illegal either. Using your monopoly status in one market to win another is illegal.
I liked Apple much better when Google were friends and Microsoft a common enemy. Nowadays Apple reeks of evil more than any other tech company (they are at the forefront of tech companies that want to kill general computing and sell you appliances). And it's all about profits it seems and mobile devices. Macs are second class citizens. Sad, but Apple is becoming irrelevant to people who really care about technology and its future. They turned into their nightmare big fat bully from their 1984 ad.
You sir have lost your mind!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
How is cutting search or maps from a class of users violating monopoly status? Besides being a monopoly is not illegal either. Using your monopoly status in one market to win another is illegal.
I liked Apple much better when Google were friends and Microsoft a common enemy. Nowadays Apple reeks of evil more than any other tech company (they are at the forefront of tech companies that want to kill general computing and sell you appliances). And it's all about profits it seems and mobile devices. Macs are second class citizens. Sad, but Apple is becoming irrelevant to people who really care about technology and its future. They turned into their nightmare big fat bully from their 1984 ad.
AMEN!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
How is cutting search or maps from a class of users violating monopoly status? Besides being a monopoly is not illegal either. Using your monopoly status in one market to win another is illegal.
I liked Apple much better when Google were friends and Microsoft a common enemy. Nowadays Apple reeks of evil more than any other tech company (they are at the forefront of tech companies that want to kill general computing and sell you appliances). And it's all about profits it seems and mobile devices. Macs are second class citizens. Sad, but Apple is becoming irrelevant to people who really care about technology and its future. They turned into their nightmare big fat bully from their 1984 ad.
I'm not sure what circles of people who care about technology and its future you frequent. In mine, everyone owns an Apple laptop and the majority have an iPhone. Those that have tablets all have iPads. The WWDC sold out thousands of tickets in an hour or so at $1600 a pop.
Which sounds less evil to you: trying to make products so good that consumers will want them so much that the creators become enormous, or tracking everything a user does or says and selling access to it to the highest bidder to spend half your phone's resources serving ads? Apple is not the evil one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
Sad, but Apple is becoming irrelevant to people who really care about technology and its future.
Thank goodness if that means they're becoming more relevant to people who really care about people and their future.
Chomp.com's web site leaves little to be desired. Each category only lists 9 items per page forcing you to click the next button repeatedly. They should get rid of the big graphics for each app and list hundreds of apps per page.
Instagram loses Android compatibility following Apple acquisition
: (
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
Sad, but Apple is becoming irrelevant to people who really care about technology and its future. They turned into their nightmare big fat bully from their 1984 ad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsimpsen
Thank goodness if that means they're becoming more relevant to people who really care about people and their future.
Yeah it is like if someone were to say Volkswagen is irrelevant to people who care about cars. Sure we used to tinker with the mechanics when we were younger. Now you can't even recognize anything under the hood, but they drive better, last longer and are a lot safer. If you like to tinker with computers go get yourself a Linux box, but there is no reason to toss out your Mac just because Apple is making them easy to use for the average consumer. I understand where he is coming from because at times it appears to be one step forward and two steps back, for example, with the auto spelling correction, however, Apple will keep working on it and they will eventually get it right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I'm sure that Google could decide not to renew the Search and Maps contracts when they come up for renewal. Remember, Google is the one paying Apple for the privilege of being on iOS not the other way around. Of course, why would they not renew since Google makes plenty of money off of iOS.
Google MIGHT get away with not renewing the contract, but that would depend on whether they had similar deal with other vendors.
Either way, while they could stop paying Apple, they couldn't stop offering maps and search for Apple products.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
How is cutting search or maps from a class of users violating monopoly status? Besides being a monopoly is not illegal either. Using your monopoly status in one market to win another is illegal.
If they were to stop supporting Macs or iOS devices with their maps and search, it would be a clear attempt to use their search monopoly and power in mapping to try to distort the hardware markets - which would almost certainly be illegal.
Why would they "reply in kind" anyway? Looking at Google's application store, Google Play, they already have (all?) the search features that Chomp offered. No harm to Google that I can think of.
https://play.google.com/store
Remember this?
Google buys reMail iPhone app, then pulls it from App Store
(http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/02/google-buys-remail-iphone-app-then-pulls-it-from-app-store.ars)
This is business as usual people. Nothing to see hear. Especially, enough with the Apple is evil nonsense. Please.
like android users care about this...
http://chomp.com/q/search/game?platform=android
Still works if you type your own url! They took down the button but the backend still has the data!