Unwrapp is a brand new application that enables you to keep on top of all the web applications you use, by notifiying you when there are new versions, features or upgrades of the services in question.
Of course, you need to proactively indicate which applications you use for the tool to be useful, but Unwrapp has made this remarkably easy by offering a comprehensive directory to pick services from, a powerful search engine that shows you results for web apps you’re looking for but also a list of similar or related ones, and a bookmarklet that lets you ‘unwrapp’ any web application you access with just one mouseclick.
Unwrapp is in private beta for the moment, but we can give access to the first 500 TechCrunch readers to sign up for the service here: simply use the code “ireadTC” in the corresponding field.
Unwrapp is obviously a niche play for web app fanatics, but I’m definitely one of those so I enjoyed playing around with it and I actually discovered some nice apps through the tool’s recommendation system. Besides providing updates on new versions and features, Unwrapp also aggregates news items related to applications (currently from Techmeme only, but this should expand to other ‘handpicked’ blogs and social media platforms in the future), and enables users to voice their opinions through comments. Users can also submit new apps for moderation, and developers and companies can claim their applications so they can maintain their profile and keep control over which updates are being announced and how.
Unwrapp’s parent company, design & marketing company WeDoCreative aims to generate revenue directly with on-site advertising and a basic CRM tool that can be used by claimed app owners to communicate directly with their users, which is currently under development. Indirectly, the company hopes to derive some business out of branding the tool with their company name.
The application reminds me of Wakoopa, although that particular application tracks software usage for users regardless of whether they’re accessed on the desktop or via the browser, while Unwrapp focuses on applications rather than their users, and is limited to web-based services only. Zee Kane from WeDoCreative tells me the tool was actually inspired by iusethis.com, which provides a similar service but only for Mac apps at this point.
Currently the only elementary feature that Unwrapp is lacking is a notification system for tracking new software versions or upgrades, preferably both by e-mail and RSS feed. Kane says both should be integrated in the tracker by the end of this week.
Huh? The beauty of web apps is that updates to a service are pushed AUTOMATICALLY. You rarely ever have to “upgrade” to a new version of a web app. Bizarre.
I hear ya Libby, this isn’t so much about making you “upgrade” but rather ensuring you hear about new updates to your favorite apps asap.
Also, ften you don’t know an update has been made until you log back in which can be ages. There are some apps you don’t use but want to keep an eye on, possibly until a new feature/update has been released…unwrapp helps in that respect too.
Also btw, although the backbone of the site is updates – it’s not everything…tracking web app usage and popularity is a large part too.
I can’t even think of one web application that I would like to follow the updates for…
Sure… there is Wordpress… but a) you get notified by WP themselves b) I would have to upgrade it by myself…
You do realise however that almost 50% of what tech blogs write about is updates to existing web services right?
i’m with u libby
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I like the idea. I was thinking of something similar last week, having a site with activity streams for web apps where developers could post their latest releases, making it easy for people to follow the “scene” without having to subscribe to every app’s blog or twitter feed and to catch sites that don’t always land on TC and others’ radar. Plus, look at versiontracker and something like iusethis.com, and apply that model to web apps. Could it go nowhere? Sure, but I’d still like to see it come out.
Why doesn’t crunchbase do something in this area? I know it captures an app’s blog and news, but it’d be interesting to see who are fans/followers of a company and get a first class “feature release/launch” stream that can be more useful in an aggregated view. Too much rambling.
All are the same, no one can create something new
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