I met with the folks at Lunarr a couple of weeks back to hear about the new release they were getting ready to roll out for their web-based document-sharing tool. Lunarr founder Hideshi Hamaguchi began the meeting with a notepad and a pen, drawing out a graphical representation of the compromises web developers make in order to increase functionality with future releases, which typically lower the simplicity of their user interface.
Hamaguchi was determined to not let this happen with this new Lunarr release, and in fact went the opposite direction: visit Lunarr's new website, and you'll be met with a blank page, boasting a rather enticing dog ear in the upper right corner and some barely perceptible menu options grazing the bottom of the page.
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If you recall Lunarr's service, it's a document-sharing tool that lets you leave notes on the "back" of the page, and send it all off to other users (collaborators, if you will). This ensures that versioned, shareable documents are kept intact and accompanied everywhere with the relevant notes between users. It's a basic concept that we often use in the tangible world for taking notes, and has been elegantly transplanted into a web-based tool.
Now, aside from the new blank page, Lunarr has a few feature upgrades as well. The sharing options have been made easier, the user interface for accessing and sending messages has been smartly streamlined, and there's also a wealth of increased functionality that spans the tiniest of details, such as email integration and tagging options for printing documents (think of it as a way to tag real versions in order to keep up with printed versions).
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My favorite new function in Lunarr's new release is the improved options for creating a document directly within Lunarr. You can now grab live, functioning HTML pages from across the web, whereas the previous version only allowed you to grab a screen shot. Lunarr has even created a bookmarking tool that wlil help you grab your web pages as you surf the web. These can, in turn, be converted into screen shots. And unlike your Print Screen function, Lunarr's tool captures the page in its entirety, and can then be easily edited so you can tell your designer what needs to change on a layout, or show your best friend a really cool pair of sunglasses you've found online.
In terms of the trends we're seeing with business applications finding new ways in which to integrate themselves in existing social networks, typically through a file-sharing app, I asked Hamaguchi if such integration would be in the future plans for Lunarr, especially considering the email integration included in this new release. Hamaguchi replied that he'd rather Lunarr remain a standalone entity that opreates as a platform in itself.