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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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The Next Web points to a Tweet from developer Shahruz Shaukat noting that the desktop version of iTunes is currently experiencing an interesting glitch in which searching for "podcast" or "podcasts" in the U.S. iTunes Store yields only a single app result: Apple's own Podcasts app. Clicking through to "See all" under both iPhone and iPad apps similarly displays only Apple's app.

podcasts_itunes_glitch_1.jpg



Default results showing only Apple's Podcasts app
The issue is clearly a glitch, as the behavior is not consistent across international stores and even within the U.S. store, where the issue appears in the default "All Results" display but not when results are filtered to show only apps. The issue is also not present in searches performed in the App Store application on iOS.

podcasts_itunes_glitch_2.jpg



Filtering results to show only apps displays full set of results
Apple has yet to fix the issue, which was noticed by Shaukat over 18 hours ago.

Article Link: iTunes Store Glitch Limits 'Podcast' Search Results to Apple's Own App
 

tbrinkma

macrumors 68000
Apr 24, 2006
1,651
93
Yep. Based on the behavior shown, this is *clearly* a glitch and not anything nefarious. As for the time delay in getting it fixed, I suspect there's a small team of developers all gathered around someone's desk, going "This doesn't make any sense! None of the code here has changed in the last 4 months! WTF!" (Been there, done that, had it start working normally again with no changes. :confused: :( )
 

Overniven

macrumors newbie
Mar 15, 2011
4
0
While they in research mode to fix this issue, how about fixing the abomination that is the Podcast app.
 

slu

macrumors 68000
Sep 15, 2004
1,636
107
Buffalo
It kinda makes sense to me. That app is probably the most relevant result for that search. Searching for "podcasts" is kinda dumb anyway, unless you want the Apple app. It is like searching iTunes for "music".
 

autrefois

macrumors 65816
While they in research mode to fix this issue, how about fixing the abomination that is the Podcast app.

My thinking is that the horror that is the Podcasts app is somehow to blame for this. It's not enough anymore for it just to be arguably the worst piece of software ever released by Apple -- it is now intent on spreading its awfulness and will not be happy until it destroys all! :D
 

ZZ Bottom

macrumors 6502a
Apr 14, 2010
829
258
It kinda makes sense to me. That app is probably the most relevant result for that search. Searching for "podcasts" is kinda dumb anyway, unless you want the Apple app. It is like searching iTunes for "music".

Sure, it should be first, but not the only result provided. Besides, it's possibly the most unstable podcast app so it certainly shouldn't be first in quality.
 

The Phazer

macrumors 68030
Oct 31, 2007
2,997
929
London, UK
It kinda makes sense to me. That app is probably the most relevant result for that search. Searching for "podcasts" is kinda dumb anyway, unless you want the Apple app. It is like searching iTunes for "music".

Why is it dumb to search for a podcast client with the word "podcasts"???

And anyone wanting to listen to Podcasts would be looking for literally anything other than Apple's dreadful app.
 

Owen Imholte

macrumors newbie
Jan 20, 2012
15
0
A bit tongue in cheek but it seems they put the quotations around the wrong word. Perhaps the title should read: iTunes Store 'Glitch' Limits Podcast Search Results to Apple's Own App
 

quietstormSD

macrumors 65816
Mar 2, 2010
1,216
575
San Diego, CA
I actually noticed this a little more than a week ago when searching "Podcast" in the app store. I thought it was strange and just stopped searching for podcast apps.
 

seecoolguy

macrumors 6502
Nov 28, 2007
256
34
While they in research mode to fix this issue, how about fixing the abomination that is the Podcast app.

some podcasts like the Nerdcast play really well through the Podcasts app, with full resume stream functionality. It's super cool. but many more of my podcasts are a pain to listen to through this app. I prefer the sticher app because it's faster, easier to use than appple's own app.

one specific problem podcast is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/KevinAndBean It seems that screen refreshes it will flush out the entire feed and all my podcasts are removed for this feed, regaurdless of it being listen to or not.

one simple fix was to download (not stream) the podcast and now I can resume my current episode. but that bites because now I have to manually manage the whole thing. OH occasionally when the app is downloading my podcast, it may cause the iphone to reboot (nope, i'm not jailbroken).

I've gone to the feedback link for iphone but I'd like to be able to file a better bug for this.
 

macingman

macrumors 68020
Jan 2, 2011
2,147
3
Steve Jobs would've never let this happen.

Wow, what a unique post...:

Steve jobs would never have allowed it to be called the iPhone 5

Steve jobs would have never let this monstrosity happen

Steve jobs would have never allowed confidential sales numbers to leak out to the public.

Steve and the rest of Apple wouldn't let this monstrosity get released.

Probably even more I wasn't bothered to find.

Face facts, why should it matter what Steve Jobs "would do", he's been dead for a while now. Jobs himself even said for "Apple to do what is right, not what Steve would want them too". Please post only if you have something constructive to add.

Also you seem to overestimate the roll a CEO of a company with thousands of employees plays in a company.
 

iSee

macrumors 68040
Oct 25, 2004
3,539
272
Apple should fix this fast.
They'll want to avoid the additional damange done to their reputation as additional people download and attempt to use "Podcasts".

I like the design and functionallity, but it is the buggiest piece of junk. It's like they handed it to a couple of angry monkey interns to implement. (I'm talking about the update, too -- that only fixed 1 of the 3 most annoying bugs, as I rank them).
 

sessamoid

macrumors member
Aug 18, 2011
74
6
Looks fixed for me. Desktop iTunes store (US) shows a variety of podcasts when I search for the term "Podcast".
 
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