• Venture Beat, Thursday, June 16, 2011 12:11 PM

Fashioning itself as the ultimate app finder, Yahoo just debuted an App Search services for desktop users, along with an AppSpot app for the iPhone and Android devices. Shashi Seth, Yahoo's SVP of search and marketplaces, compared the current state of the app world to the early days of the Web, "before Yahoo's founders made navigation easier with their listings and search engine," VentureBeat writes.

Now, when users search for an app by name or type, instead of just offering a link to a listing in an app store, Yahoo now points them to a Yahoo profile page about the app, including reviews, an overall star rating, screenshots, and pricing. "If you decide that you want to try the app, you can scan the QR code on the profile with your device, or Yahoo can send a text message to your phone with a link to the store," VentureBeat writes.

Yahoo also points to related apps and, if you've downloaded the AppSpot app, it provides daily app recommendations, personalized based on factors like what apps you've already downloaded to your phone.

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