App discovery company AppsFire is debuting a new iOS application today called Logostream, which offers a curated view of the iTunes application store. The app provides users with an easy way to find new apps to try, through the use of high-level categories and app icons you can flip through with your finger as they stream by. It’s a simplified alternative to what can sometimes be the overwhelming experience of browsing through the iTunes App Store itself.
According to AppsFire co-founder Ouriel Ohayon, the idea for Logostream was born out of the company’s previous attempt at app discovery called Appstream. Like the older version, both apps involve streams of icons, but Appstream offered a busier user interface with lots of icons. What Ohayon found was that people tended to tap on the apps of brands they were already familiar with instead of the unknown new icons for brands they had never seen.
To serve this demographic, the company created Logostream. Here, apps are sorted by category. When you switch to any section, the logos automatically stream by. You can also flip through them using your finger to move more quickly. Tap any logo to see all the apps under that brand. So, for example, if you tap the Microsoft app, you’ll see apps for Bing, Xbox, OneNote, MSN, Photosynth, and more. Tap on LinkedIn and you’ll find both LinkedIn and CardMunch (a 2011 acquisition). You get the idea.
There are just a few categories for now: Tech, Sport, Fashion, TV & Music, Celebrities, and Every Day. But it’s a good start.
However, since mainstream users tends to gravitate towards brands they already know, I’m not sure how they’ll ever find Logostream. Oh well. Maybe you can install it for your app-deprived friends?
Logostream is a Universal app and is available in iTunes here.
