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Backend Banter

#010 - Distributed Web Apps with Kyle Simpson

Jul 17, 2023
In this podcast episode, Lane chats with Kyle Simpson, principal software engineer at Socket Supply, about distributed web apps and the evolution of the web. They discuss the origins of the web, the shift from decentralized gaming to centralized servers, running web applications on mobile devices using native wrappers, decentralizing data storage, the difference between TCP and UDP protocols, efficient transfer of video and files, and the use cases for distributed web apps.
59:27

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Socket Supply aims to transform traditional web applications into installable native apps by providing a small runtime that runs within the web view.
  • Socket Supply advocates for a distributed, peer-to-peer model of the web to address privacy concerns, limited access, and unnecessary performance optimizations.

Deep dives

Socket Supply: Redefining the Web's Architecture

Socket Supply is a startup aiming to redesign the architecture of the web. Their approach involves providing a small runtime that wraps around traditional web applications, transforming them into installable native apps. Unlike other platforms like Electron or React Native, Socket Supply's runtime does not require writing backend logic in a separate process. Instead, the entire app, including UI and logic, runs within the web view. They focus on exposing the full capabilities of the device, such as file system access, Bluetooth, and networking, through APIs that resemble Node.js. By leveraging the native web view on popular computing platforms, Socket Supply aims to create lightweight, targeted, and performant app experiences.

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