...by Daniel Szego
quote
"On a long enough timeline we will all become Satoshi Nakamoto.."
Daniel Szego
Showing posts with label App. Show all posts
Showing posts with label App. Show all posts

Friday, January 19, 2018

Decentralized App store or DApp store


As blockchain technology slowly goes into the mainstream at least from a the marketing point if view, it might be a good question which applications are generally required for industrial scenarios. On such an application is surely something similar as a decentralized app store, which works similarly as a classical app store only for DApps. So, let we take a look which functionality should be put into such a general DApp store:

- Trusted name service: Name service should give something as a general unique, human readable name for each of the DApps. The name should be associated with a certain properties of the Dapp itself, like addresses, the ABI description files and some meta information regarding the DApp. The name service should be trusted, meaning that only people having certain private keys for the DApp should be able to update the information. It might be a further function to be able to delete certain DApp. 

- Discovery: one way for getting the information about the Apps might be simply based on the name of the DApp. However, more sophisticated discovery services can be imagined as well, like getting information based on DApp meta-information, description or even based on the ABI file.

It is certainly questionable how such a discovery can be realized in an efficient way. Further question if such a system should be blockchain specific or there is a way to realize such a functionalities in a multi or cross blockchain way.  

Monday, December 18, 2017

Notes on modular AI infrastructure and Apps


AI algorithms and platform solutions are coming for sure. The only question is how should be designed an AI application from the architectural point of view. In classical computer systems, usually there is something similar as the operation system that provides a low level software architecture with certain basic services and on top apps or applications that cover specific needs. The question is if it is possible to separate this way an AI application, considering some low level primitives as infrastructure and building specific Apps or applications on top.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Notes on Blockchain Apps

Bitcoin and Blockchain technologies seem to live theirs second hype cycle. The focus however seem to be chaining. Previously the major focus seem to be to create new digital currencies, like BitcoinLitecoin or for instance Dogcoin. However the focus is getting to go to technologies that are build on the Blockchain technology but not necessarily focusing on a digital currency, rather general applications as well, like private decentralized web sites (Zeronet), or blockchain based contracts (Smart Contracts) or Smart Property. It is however more interesting that not only out of the box products (or perhaps I should say networks) are possible, but general development framework as well. As an example Ethereum provides not only a general Blockchain product but rather a framework that allows to build further applications on the top, the so called decentralized Apps or simply Dapps. As of course it is still questionable if ethereum will succeed on the market, despite such platforms provide the opportunity for individual developers or developer companies to create small scale projects and application without the challenges of a whole product development.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Notes on SharePoint Apps versus SharePoint Addins



Recent change from Microsoft that SharePoint Apps will be renamed as SharePoint Plugins. As it is theoretically only just a new name, despite it is interesting to a look which name describes the technology better. 

App Framework for mobile devices means something in the direction that you have a got a basic framework, that is the core mobile device. It is extended in a couple of directions by Apps. The basic Framework provides among the others the following services:
  - Framework and access to the touchscreen
  - Phoning
  - Data Transfer
  - Geo location service
  - Access to other hardware devices
  - ....

The idea is pretty much similar to the standard operation systems and applications. The operation system provides most of the core functionalities and the applications simply extend these functionalities. The core functionalities are for example the followings:
  - Access to the file system
  - Access to IO devices
  - Memory management
  - CPU Resource management
  - ...

As a consequent, if we speak about SharePoint Apps, we would expect something similar, a core framework that is extended by the SharePoint Apps themselves. So the question is what should be regarded as SharePoint basic functionalities. Having more than 6 years SharePoint development experience I would say that at least the following elements should be regarded as SharePoint core services:
  - Integration on Authentication
  - Integration on Authorization
  - Workflow integration
  - Data model integration, like standard Lists and extended data model elements.
  - User interface and design integration
  - Integrated operation model, like integrated logs or monitoring 
  - ...

Some of these functionalities are covered by the SharePoint hosted App model, however almost none of them are realized by a provider hosted App. Provider hosted App model realizes only the integration of the Authentication, everything else has to be developed from scratch, like building up ta SharePoint like user interface, realizing the same authorization model or developing web services and custom activities for workflow integration.

As a conclusion, a SharePoint hosted App might be called really as an App, but for a provider hosted App the name is surely pretty much misleading. One would expect a model and core functionalities that do not exist. In this sense AddIn is probably a much better naming choice.